Population 4,877 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Athens
Household size in Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Athens are small: just 2.27 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.43 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.6 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Athens is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the north.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Athens (11.0%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Athens has a higher share of single-parent households than most Pennsylvania cities.
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 Athens
Renters in Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.8% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +15.3 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Athens than nationally: 48.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 51.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southeast. Of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a higher share of renters.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Athens is close to the national rate: 9.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Athens has a higher vacancy rate than most Pennsylvania cities.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
Athens is a place of older homes: half were built before 1958, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $475 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $602 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $697 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,025 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$550 | +$494 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Athens costs $1,025 a month with utilities, well 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. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the north.
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 Athens
Bachelor's degrees in Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Athens (27.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the southwest.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.8% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.6% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Athens have finished high school (92.6%), above the national rate of 89.3%. Pennsylvania as a whole looks much the same.
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 Athens
| Period | Athens | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Athens: 8.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have higher unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Athens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | 2.27 | 44.6 | 11.0% | 48.8% | 9.0% | 1958 | $1,025 | 27.1% | 92.6% | 8.3% |
| Sayre | 2.28 | 42.8 | 5.9% | 33.5% | 8.9% | 1958 | $1,050 | 33.9% | 93.2% | 11.0% |
| South Waverly | 2.59 | 42.8 | 17.4% | 15.3% | 1.9% | 1954 | $1,022 | 25.5% | 96.9% | 6.8% |
| Litchfield | 2.45 | 54.0 | 2.7% | 13.7% | 10.7% | 1976 | $1,005 | 19.9% | 91.3% | 8.2% |
| East Athens | 2.51 | 52.9 | 1.5% | 8.4% | 10.4% | 1975 | $1,072 | 22.9% | 93.9% | 8.9% |
| Waverly | 2.23 | 44.8 | 13.5% | 27.9% | 14.3% | 1962 | $1,060 | 15.0% | 92.8% | 6.9% |
| Milan | 2.55 | 46.1 | 9.8% | 20.6% | 11.4% | 1976 | $935 | 17.7% | 89.2% | 3.7% |
| Sheshequin | 2.43 | 50.7 | 5.0% | 18.9% | 10.6% | 1973 | $945 | 15.9% | 88.3% | 4.6% |
| Wilawana | 2.87 | 40.8 | 3.9% | 18.7% | 12.3% | 1978 | $1,034 | 24.9% | 90.8% | 9.8% |
| Saco | 2.57 | 43.3 | 7.8% | 13.9% | 13.6% | 1977 | $1,075 | 16.7% | 92.6% | 4.9% |
| Hoopers Valley | 2.34 | 50.8 | 10.2% | 24.9% | 7.9% | 1954 | $1,104 | 18.9% | 90.9% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Meadows Place, TX · Hewitt, NJ · Wind Gap, PA · Williamstown, KY · Ashburn, GA · Ashville, AL · Wewahitchka, FL · Leakesville, MS · Camino, CA · Lincoln, MA
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 Athens. 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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