Population 3,760 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Bluff Acres: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Bluff Acres
Household size in Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.14 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.13 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.97 | 2.30 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.13 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Bluff Acres are small: just 1.97 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 2.14, 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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.3 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.5 | 38.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.1 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.2 | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Bluff Acres is young: half of its residents are under 34.1, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples.
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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 8.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 8.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.2% of households in Bluff Acres, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Bluff Acres
Renters in Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.7% | 35.1% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 62.1% | 38.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 63.6% | 38.9% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 63.5% | 39.7% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Bluff Acres rent: 63.5% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 37.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as 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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 6.3% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 5.7% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Bluff Acres: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. The Madison area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1978 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1979 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Bluff Acres are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Bluff Acres has newer homes than most Madison neighborhoods.
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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $871 | $868 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $977 | $950 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $898 | $1,072 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,149 | $1,366 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$278 | +$498 | +$380 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Bluff Acres costs $1,149 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only two of Madison's 26 neighborhoods have lower rents.
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 Bluff Acres
Bachelor's degrees in Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 41.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.1% | 43.6% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.1% | 46.9% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.7% | 50.6% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.1 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Bluff Acres than nationally: 40.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the wider Madison area (50.6%). Bluff Acres has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Madison neighborhoods.
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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.1% | 93.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.6% | 94.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.3% | 95.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +1.3 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Bluff Acres: 97.3% 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 Bluff Acres
| Period | Bluff Acres | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.5% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bluff Acres has been low: just 2.5% 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 the Madison area. 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).
Bluff Acres 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluff Acres | 1.97 | 34.1 | 6.2% | 63.5% | 4.7% | 1983 | $1,149 | 40.7% | 97.3% | 2.5% |
| Ridgewood | 2.25 | 36.5 | 4.7% | 56.2% | 3.1% | 1992 | $1,120 | 40.7% | 96.4% | 1.0% |
| Heistand | 2.34 | 35.0 | 11.8% | 64.8% | 2.0% | 1978 | $1,278 | 32.5% | 93.0% | 0.4% |
| Sherman | 2.07 | 31.7 | 18.3% | 53.0% | 7.4% | 1963 | $1,151 | 47.6% | 94.7% | 4.9% |
| Eastmorland | 1.76 | 43.4 | 5.1% | 29.2% | 4.7% | 1956 | $1,548 | 54.4% | 97.4% | 0.9% |
| Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahar | 1.82 | 39.0 | 3.4% | 47.1% | 6.4% | 1939 | $1,556 | 73.3% | 99.1% | 3.7% |
| McClellan Park | 2.87 | 33.5 | 11.3% | 43.1% | 4.0% | 2010 | $1,523 | 49.5% | 98.7% | 1.4% |
| Elvehjem | 2.38 | 43.3 | 7.9% | 18.2% | 4.6% | 1972 | $1,376 | 49.6% | 97.3% | 1.6% |
| Marquette | 1.88 | 32.7 | 2.1% | 68.0% | 3.6% | 1953 | $1,627 | 71.5% | 97.7% | 5.7% |
| Tenney-Lapham | 1.66 | 32.6 | 2.7% | 76.1% | 6.2% | 1983 | $1,533 | 72.5% | 99.9% | 3.3% |
| Glendale | 2.18 | 44.5 | 10.4% | 39.8% | 4.3% | 1964 | $1,293 | 43.7% | 92.4% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Brookside, Findlay, OH · Old Northeast, Bloomington, IN · Valley College, San Bernardino, CA · Downtown Elyria, Elyria, OH · Oaklawn, Cranston, RI · East Hills, Pittsburgh, PA · Emerald Estates, Bakersfield, CA · Bradford Park, Springfield, MO · Birmingham, Toledo, OH · Bethune Grant, Daytona Beach, FL
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 Bluff Acres. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.