Population 1,469 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bluford
Household size in Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Bluford has 2.52 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Illinois. Household size has dropped from 2.67 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.4 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Bluford is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.5, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.5% of households in Bluford, 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 Bluford
Renters in Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +13.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Bluford is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 52.2% have no mortgage at all, 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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Bluford than nationally: 7.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Illinois 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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Bluford is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally.
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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $564 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $531 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $699 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,039 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$474 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Bluford costs $1,039 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just 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 Bluford
Bachelor's degrees in Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bluford: 11.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.4% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.1% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bluford is close to the national rate: 88.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Illinois overall (90.3%).
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 Bluford
| Period | Bluford | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bluford runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
Bluford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluford | 2.52 | 38.5 | 7.5% | 24.1% | 7.8% | 1986 | $1,039 | 11.8% | 88.1% | 3.9% |
| Camp Ground | 2.54 | 47.6 | 6.6% | 9.7% | 7.8% | 1990 | $945 | 17.7% | 89.4% | 2.7% |
| Keenes | 2.29 | 50.4 | 12.0% | 23.8% | 2.5% | 1977 | $1,226 | 22.8% | 96.9% | 1.2% |
| Stratton | 3.16 | 31.9 | 10.1% | 14.8% | 14.2% | 1991 | $824 | 16.1% | 84.6% | 3.3% |
| Opdyke | 2.68 | 41.3 | 9.7% | 11.5% | 4.8% | 1989 | $1,163 | 12.4% | 87.8% | 3.4% |
| Summersville | 2.35 | 44.4 | 4.8% | 9.5% | 4.1% | 1991 | $1,118 | 26.2% | 96.4% | 1.6% |
| Shields | 2.85 | 35.9 | 3.2% | 14.4% | 11.0% | 1996 | $892 | 14.0% | 87.7% | 4.3% |
| Texico | 2.68 | 42.9 | 2.4% | 10.3% | 11.3% | 1993 | $807 | 17.3% | 92.2% | 4.3% |
| Wayne City | 2.19 | 45.8 | 10.9% | 23.5% | 7.1% | 1978 | $793 | 15.1% | 96.1% | 2.0% |
| Mount Vernon | 2.36 | 42.3 | 15.3% | 36.1% | 14.4% | 1972 | $921 | 19.2% | 94.0% | 6.3% |
| Idlewood | 2.36 | 45.8 | 2.1% | 13.6% | 12.8% | 1987 | $863 | 29.7% | 96.1% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jackson, NC · Waverly, GA · Dove, MO · Dunlap, IA · Dyke, VA · Warren, IL · Spann, GA · South Henderson, NC · Harrisburg, MO · Henry, VA
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 Bluford. 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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