Population 2,624 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Black Earth
Household size in Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.28 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.30 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.13 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The average household in Black Earth has 2.48 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in the Madison area overall, where it has 2.30 people.
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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.9 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 38.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.9 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.9, Black Earth is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.3, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 8.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 8.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Black Earth: 5.7% 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 Black Earth
Renters in Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 35.1% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 38.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 38.9% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 39.7% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Black Earth is largely a place of homeowners: only 15.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 46.6% have no mortgage at all, 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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 6.3% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 5.7% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −3.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Black Earth than nationally: 5.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of the Madison area.
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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1978 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1979 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Black Earth was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $738 | $868 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $805 | $950 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $806 | $1,072 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $996 | $1,366 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$258 | +$498 | +$380 | +$606 |
The median renter in Black Earth pays $996 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Black Earth
Bachelor's degrees in Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 41.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 43.6% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.9% | 46.9% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.8% | 50.6% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Black Earth (33.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Madison area overall (50.6%).
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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 93.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.9% | 94.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.3% | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.9% | 95.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +1.3 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Black Earth: 97.9% 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 Black Earth
| Period | Black Earth | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Black Earth than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Even so, the rate is higher than in the Madison area overall (2.6%). 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).
Black Earth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Earth | 2.48 | 44.9 | 5.7% | 15.9% | 5.7% | 1979 | $996 | 33.8% | 97.9% | 4.4% |
| Mazomanie | 2.29 | 47.8 | 5.0% | 14.7% | 5.0% | 1981 | $990 | 33.0% | 97.9% | 2.8% |
| Cross Plains | 2.56 | 43.0 | 5.7% | 24.4% | 3.2% | 1989 | $1,611 | 50.9% | 97.6% | 1.2% |
| Pine Bluff | 2.62 | 40.8 | 2.5% | 23.0% | 4.1% | 1989 | $1,671 | 55.3% | 97.6% | 0.9% |
| Martinsville | 2.20 | 56.7 | 2.0% | 12.9% | 4.6% | 1977 | $1,474 | 43.5% | 99.0% | 0.6% |
| Blue Mounds | 2.42 | 45.5 | 7.4% | 19.4% | 3.8% | 1989 | $1,134 | 42.0% | 97.8% | 1.9% |
| Mount Horeb | 2.64 | 41.0 | 4.9% | 25.5% | 6.7% | 1991 | $1,250 | 48.5% | 97.4% | 3.2% |
| Arena | 2.36 | 42.0 | 5.9% | 16.7% | 3.9% | 1986 | $1,096 | 23.4% | 94.1% | 1.6% |
| Sauk City | 2.37 | 42.4 | 4.3% | 22.2% | 5.9% | 1974 | $1,123 | 31.7% | 96.4% | 2.1% |
| Roxbury | 2.66 | 50.7 | 7.2% | 10.0% | 10.7% | 1980 | $1,185 | 35.9% | 98.5% | 0.6% |
| Springfield Corners | 2.62 | 48.2 | 3.7% | 10.6% | 3.0% | 1978 | $1,358 | 36.7% | 93.3% | 1.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: El Cenizo, TX · Elk Point, SD · Enterprise, OR · Blasdell, NY · Williamstown, PA · Buhach, CA · Prophetstown, IL · Constantia, NY · North Lewisburg, OH · Playa Cortada, PR
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 Black Earth. 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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