Population 1,214 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bessemer
Household size in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.37 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.29 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.30 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Bessemer run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in the wider Pittsburgh area, where it has 2.30 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.53, 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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.5 | 42.5 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.3 | 43.7 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.7 | 43.9 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +1.4 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Bessemer skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 8.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.0 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Bessemer: 7.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Bessemer
Renters in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 28.5% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 29.9% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 30.3% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 29.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.3% of households in Bessemer rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than a third of owners (36.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 10.0% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Bessemer: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1960 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1961 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1962 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1964 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Bessemer is a place of older homes: half were built before 1957, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $606 | $720 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $627 | $801 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $673 | $922 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $861 | $1,162 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$255 | +$442 | +$494 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Bessemer costs $861 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 40.7% of the typical renter's income, 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 Bessemer
Bachelor's degrees in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 29.5% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 31.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 35.2% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 39.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +9.5 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bessemer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.2%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 90.8% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.2% | 92.3% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 93.8% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.8% | 95.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +4.2 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Bessemer: 96.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 7.5% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 5.0% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Bessemer than nationally: unemployment was 6.6%, against 5.4%. 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).
Bessemer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer | 2.41 | 45.7 | 7.7% | 15.3% | 7.2% | 1957 | $861 | 16.2% | 96.8% | 6.6% |
| Peanut | 2.10 | 60.6 | 5.5% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 1975 | $870 | 3.4% | 95.1% | 0.1% |
| S.N.P.J. | 2.79 | 38.4 | 3.8% | 10.8% | 9.3% | 1958 | $694 | 34.2% | 99.7% | 11.0% |
| Hillsville | 2.38 | 38.8 | 5.0% | 12.7% | 6.2% | 1958 | $1,043 | 15.6% | 94.7% | 4.8% |
| New Middletown | 2.30 | 51.9 | 7.8% | 18.4% | 4.4% | 1979 | $1,175 | 31.2% | 98.2% | 2.2% |
| Edinburg | 2.15 | 52.3 | 4.7% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 1969 | $1,000 | 13.5% | 93.6% | 3.1% |
| Petersburg | 2.22 | 51.5 | 6.8% | 12.3% | 2.5% | 1960 | $773 | 31.2% | 96.2% | 2.0% |
| North Edinburg | 2.25 | 50.7 | 5.8% | 13.0% | 9.3% | 1974 | $1,393 | 20.6% | 95.3% | 1.7% |
| Lowellville | 2.15 | 51.2 | 4.4% | 15.1% | 10.2% | 1963 | $886 | 26.3% | 93.3% | 4.9% |
| Enon Valley | 2.63 | 45.3 | 5.7% | 12.5% | 11.5% | 1969 | $703 | 21.4% | 92.2% | 6.9% |
| New Springfield | 2.20 | 39.9 | 11.8% | 33.2% | 4.4% | 1973 | $838 | 12.3% | 94.5% | 8.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Grahamsville, NY · Streetman, TX · Stowell, TX · Hope, MS · Coila, MS · Malin, OR · Medaryville, IN · Panama, NY · Milledgeville, IL · Ogden, 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 Bessemer. 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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