Population 19,426 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Athens
Household size in Athens
| Period | Athens | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.72 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.14 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
At 2.72 people per household, Athens sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in Texas overall, where it has 2.83 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.57, even as the national average fell.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.2 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 38.8, the median age in Athens is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Texas as a whole, where the median age is 36.7. The median age has crept up from 38.2 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Athens (14.4%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.4% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.2% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Athens is about as common as it is nationally: 32.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Texas as a whole (37.4%). Nearly six in ten owners (56.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 3.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Athens: 12.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +8 | +6 |
The typical home in Athens was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Texas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1992. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the center 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $649 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $674 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $833 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,093 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$444 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Athens pays $1,093 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $444 a month from 2006–10, a 68% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 31.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.1% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Athens: 19.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the west.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.1% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.3% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.3% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Athens never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 6.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Athens runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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 | 2.72 | 38.8 | 14.4% | 32.5% | 12.8% | 1983 | $1,093 | 19.7% | 83.6% | 3.5% |
| Crescent Heights | 2.52 | 42.0 | 9.6% | 12.5% | 8.6% | 1997 | $1,097 | 19.3% | 89.2% | 1.4% |
| Pickens | 2.51 | 45.5 | 9.8% | 13.2% | 15.6% | 1998 | $1,051 | 24.9% | 84.4% | 0.0% |
| New York | 2.56 | 48.1 | 11.2% | 20.7% | 11.4% | 1996 | $1,064 | 21.6% | 89.6% | 5.6% |
| Stockard | 2.73 | 47.9 | 11.2% | 17.0% | 19.4% | 1990 | $1,047 | 27.5% | 91.0% | 1.2% |
| Malakoff | 2.45 | 44.0 | 14.8% | 24.0% | 20.4% | 1984 | $1,015 | 22.5% | 85.3% | 1.7% |
| Murchison | 2.66 | 44.9 | 10.6% | 16.9% | 17.7% | 1994 | $1,219 | 18.8% | 89.9% | 2.5% |
| Log Cabin | 2.27 | 45.8 | 5.9% | 18.3% | 25.2% | 1981 | $1,018 | 25.1% | 79.0% | 4.4% |
| Caney City | 2.23 | 58.2 | 4.6% | 10.2% | 43.0% | 1991 | $1,322 | 24.2% | 83.8% | 1.6% |
| Opelika | 2.56 | 43.6 | 8.2% | 19.9% | 5.4% | 1994 | $1,047 | 29.9% | 94.9% | 2.0% |
| Larue | 2.63 | 48.1 | 8.9% | 8.3% | 12.3% | 1997 | $1,077 | 22.6% | 91.1% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Forest Lake, MN · Hermosa Beach, CA · Newton, IA · Havelock, NC · Harrison, NJ · Union, MO · Guilford, CT · Utuado, PR · Greenfield, CA · Godfrey, IL
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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