Population 18,639 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Back of the Yards
Household size in Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.73 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.68 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.20 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.27 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.46 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Back of the Yards is a place of big households: 3.27 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 3.73 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only seven have larger households.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.4 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.4 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 29.9 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 29.9, Back of the Yards is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 26.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Back of the Yards has the youngest population of any Chicago neighborhood.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.9% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Back of the Yards: 25.5% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 2.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few Chicago neighborhoods have a higher share of single-parent households: only 12 of 135.
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 Back of the Yards
Renters in Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.2% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 65.8% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 70.1% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 68.9% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Back of the Yards rent: 68.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Nearly six in ten owners (57.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 4.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.9% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.0% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Back of the Yards: 13.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 9.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1942 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Back of the Yards is a place of older homes: half were built before 1942, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1938 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the east.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $753 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $764 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $769 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,085 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$332 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Back of the Yards pays $1,085 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $332 a month since 2006–10, up 44%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 36.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Back of the Yards
Bachelor's degrees in Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Back of the Yards have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 9.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Chicago neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.5% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 55.6% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 66.9% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 69.2% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +22.7 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Back of the Yards never finished high school, well above the national share: only 69.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 22.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only eight of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Back of the Yards
| Period | Back of the Yards | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Back of the Yards runs well above the national rate: 17.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only nine have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 1.4 points, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Back of the Yards compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back of the Yards | 3.27 | 29.9 | 25.5% | 68.9% | 13.5% | 1942 | $1,085 | 9.8% | 69.2% | 17.9% |
| New City | 3.02 | 38.7 | 19.3% | 58.6% | 14.7% | 1943 | $998 | 14.3% | 75.0% | 13.4% |
| Gage Park | 3.50 | 33.7 | 13.8% | 40.6% | 6.5% | 1943 | $1,061 | 11.3% | 66.9% | 11.3% |
| Brighton Park | 3.21 | 35.9 | 13.9% | 42.1% | 7.1% | 1944 | $1,139 | 16.2% | 68.7% | 6.7% |
| Canaryville | 2.57 | 41.3 | 11.0% | 33.9% | 8.4% | 1952 | $1,136 | 28.5% | 91.4% | 7.0% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.77 | 43.8 | 8.2% | 24.0% | 12.9% | 1938 | $1,199 | 28.4% | 77.9% | 7.0% |
| Ducktown | 2.60 | 41.1 | 11.2% | 32.0% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,202 | 32.7% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| Garfield Manor | 3.65 | 39.4 | 15.0% | 45.0% | 6.4% | 1942 | $1,098 | 10.8% | 66.3% | 11.9% |
| West Englewood | 2.97 | 37.1 | 22.3% | 49.8% | 19.3% | 1944 | $1,272 | 11.0% | 77.1% | 17.5% |
| Corwith | 2.99 | 32.8 | 15.7% | 49.6% | 8.2% | 1942 | $1,124 | 10.6% | 74.7% | 9.4% |
| Englewood | 2.63 | 40.4 | 23.5% | 64.2% | 24.1% | 1945 | $1,060 | 14.0% | 80.2% | 20.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: East Bloomington, Bloomington, MN · Camp Pendleton South, Oceanside, CA · South, Raleigh, NC · Eads-Fisherville, Cordova, TN · North Redlands, Redlands, CA · McGinley Square, Jersey City, NJ · East Side, Chicago, IL · Sheep Mountain, Las Vegas, NV · Sommerset West-Elmonica South, Hillsboro, OR · 19th Ward, Rochester, NY
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 Back of the Yards. 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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