Population 397 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Big Lake
Household size in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.97 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.39 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Lake are small: just 2.23 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.61, 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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.9 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.9 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.3 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.9 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 51.8, Big Lake is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Big Lake than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Washington.
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 Big Lake
Renters in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.0% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.4% of households in Big Lake rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly half of owners (48.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above 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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Big Lake than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Washington.
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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +6 | +6 |
Big Lake 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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $974 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,099 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,029 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,248 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$274 | +$858 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Big Lake costs $1,248 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 40.3% 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 Big Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.5% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Big Lake than nationally: 29.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.7% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.0% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Big Lake: 95.0% 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 Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.5% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Big Lake has been low: just 1.5% 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).
Big Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | 2.23 | 51.8 | 10.4% | 24.4% | 6.7% | 1957 | $1,248 | 29.6% | 95.0% | 1.5% |
| Rexville | 2.26 | 58.5 | 6.5% | 22.4% | 8.7% | 1978 | $1,178 | 41.5% | 94.4% | 0.4% |
| Mount Vernon | 2.61 | 39.4 | 12.2% | 33.2% | 6.7% | 1983 | $1,652 | 28.9% | 89.4% | 5.2% |
| Conway | 2.52 | 48.1 | 4.0% | 17.3% | 7.7% | 1987 | $1,910 | 39.3% | 98.7% | 1.3% |
| La Conner | 2.17 | 58.4 | 7.4% | 21.4% | 13.2% | 1983 | $1,538 | 42.5% | 95.6% | 6.0% |
| Burlington | 2.65 | 39.5 | 13.9% | 43.4% | 6.6% | 1987 | $1,620 | 20.1% | 90.6% | 5.6% |
| Bay View | 2.45 | 46.5 | 2.0% | 11.3% | 17.9% | 1992 | $1,968 | 39.9% | 96.1% | 2.5% |
| Sterling | 2.43 | 40.3 | 9.9% | 16.9% | 4.8% | 1981 | $1,560 | 22.8% | 90.1% | 4.0% |
| Clear Lake | 2.49 | 47.0 | 6.8% | 19.8% | 6.5% | 1982 | $827 | 18.6% | 93.7% | 3.2% |
| Lake McMurray | 2.54 | 47.3 | 3.5% | 16.2% | 8.0% | 1989 | $2,017 | 41.5% | 98.4% | 1.5% |
| East Stanwood | 3.24 | 37.7 | 11.3% | 12.7% | 4.8% | 1980 | $2,389 | 34.7% | 97.7% | 7.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Knife River, MN · Lucas, KS · Lone Pine, PA · Lock Three, AL · Lismore, MN · Leeper, MO · Lamar, OK · Lake Wilson, MN · Kramer, GA · Luna, AR
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 Big Lake. 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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