Population 882 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alpha
Household size in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.81 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.49 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Alpha is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 1.81 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −7.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Alpha is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Alpha (11.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Virginia overall (10.7%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Alpha
Renters in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.0% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.8% of households in Alpha rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over four in ten owners (42.7%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.6% of the housing in Alpha, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +5 | +6 |
Alpha has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $545 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $569 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $793 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,364 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$820 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Alpha pays $1,364 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Alpha
Bachelor's degrees in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Alpha: 14.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.9% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 73.0% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.1% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.6% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +21.6 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Alpha never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Alpha
| Period | Alpha | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Alpha has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Alpha compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 2.30 | 41.9 | 11.9% | 14.8% | 15.6% | 1988 | $1,364 | 14.5% | 86.6% | 2.2% |
| Dillwyn | 2.29 | 42.5 | 19.2% | 23.7% | 15.0% | 1990 | $1,020 | 11.7% | 86.3% | 3.3% |
| Curdsville | 2.22 | 41.2 | 9.7% | 17.5% | 13.6% | 1986 | $1,221 | 15.5% | 83.5% | 3.2% |
| Sprouses Corner | 2.17 | 46.1 | 7.9% | 32.1% | 15.7% | 1992 | $892 | 20.0% | 89.1% | 2.4% |
| New Canton | 2.61 | 42.0 | 12.9% | 31.0% | 11.7% | 1979 | $1,252 | 9.6% | 84.8% | 10.5% |
| Ransons | 2.47 | 44.4 | 12.6% | 19.9% | 12.3% | 1995 | $1,013 | 15.8% | 84.3% | 8.4% |
| Arvonia | 2.66 | 38.4 | 13.8% | 30.9% | 11.1% | 1983 | $1,066 | 15.0% | 88.1% | 3.9% |
| Trent Mill | 2.34 | 49.5 | 12.4% | 25.6% | 11.3% | 1988 | $1,049 | 13.9% | 87.3% | 4.5% |
| Hillcrest | 2.34 | 52.4 | 4.6% | 17.9% | 11.0% | 1987 | $1,071 | 13.7% | 87.9% | 5.3% |
| Buckingham | 2.18 | 49.1 | 8.9% | 27.5% | 19.1% | 1994 | $845 | 19.6% | 87.7% | 3.6% |
| Guinea Mills | 2.39 | 44.9 | 11.2% | 19.2% | 14.5% | 1982 | $1,035 | 17.4% | 83.5% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Norman, IN · Garrison, IA · Goose Island, GA · Little Texas, AL · Reeve, WI · Paupack, PA · Fifield, WI · Spring Garden, PA · La Motte, IA · Ellison Bay, WI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Alpha. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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