Population 1,398 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blue River
Household size in Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Blue River are small: just 2.32 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. Wisconsin as a whole looks much the same.
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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.9 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.0 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.0 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.4 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.5 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Blue River is 42.4 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Wisconsin as a whole looks much the same. The median age has dropped from 45.9 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Blue River: 6.3% 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 Blue River
Renters in Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.5% of households in Blue River rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than half of owners (55.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Blue River than nationally: 12.2%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Blue River are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Wisconsin as a whole, where the median home dates to 1974.
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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $614 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $670 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $617 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $901 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$286 | +$380 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Blue River costs $901 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 24.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 Blue River
Bachelor's degrees in Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.5% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Blue River have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.2%, 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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Blue River have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Wisconsin.
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 Blue River
| Period | Blue River | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Blue River has been low: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Wisconsin. 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).
Blue River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue River | 2.32 | 42.4 | 6.3% | 15.5% | 12.2% | 1979 | $901 | 19.2% | 92.8% | 2.8% |
| Byrds Creek | 2.54 | 41.7 | 7.8% | 16.4% | 14.2% | 1983 | $976 | 25.2% | 93.2% | 7.1% |
| Westport | 2.47 | 41.7 | 4.6% | 12.1% | 21.0% | 1985 | $959 | 18.9% | 85.9% | 3.6% |
| Muscoda | 2.38 | 42.1 | 8.1% | 19.7% | 14.1% | 1979 | $814 | 16.6% | 92.0% | 4.0% |
| Excelsior | 2.54 | 42.0 | 7.7% | 16.1% | 14.6% | 1983 | $983 | 25.3% | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| Boscobel | 2.38 | 37.6 | 8.7% | 37.6% | 8.9% | 1968 | $778 | 14.6% | 89.4% | 5.1% |
| Orion | 2.29 | 46.4 | 9.6% | 19.0% | 15.6% | 1978 | $829 | 15.3% | 92.2% | 4.1% |
| Plugtown | 2.42 | 43.1 | 1.8% | 8.2% | 28.1% | 1992 | $988 | 16.7% | 81.8% | 0.9% |
| Mount Zion | 2.39 | 47.3 | 3.5% | 17.8% | 22.7% | 1991 | $881 | 15.1% | 87.8% | 2.7% |
| Five Points | 2.15 | 51.3 | 6.2% | 23.4% | 21.5% | 1971 | $1,205 | 17.9% | 90.6% | 1.9% |
| Boaz | 2.15 | 51.3 | 6.2% | 23.4% | 21.5% | 1971 | $1,205 | 17.9% | 90.6% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Saranac, NY · Odebolt, IA · Otwell, IN · Pine Meadow, CT · Ramah, NM · Raymond, IL · Rockingham, GA · Francisco, IN · Sadler, TX · North Charleroi, PA
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 Blue River. 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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