Population 667 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Bowen
Household size in Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.87 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Bowen is a place of small households, averaging 2.26 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Bowen skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 45.5, 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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Bowen: 7.9% 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 Bowen
Renters in Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.2% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.3% of households in Bowen rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly two-thirds of owners (63.8%) 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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Bowen than nationally: 7.1%, 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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Bowen is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1952, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $400 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $645 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $682 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $715 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$315 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Bowen runs $715 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 25.8% 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 Bowen
Bachelor's degrees in Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bowen: 21.9% 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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.9% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Bowen never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Bowen
| Period | Bowen | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Bowen: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Bowen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen | 2.26 | 47.0 | 7.9% | 15.3% | 7.1% | 1952 | $715 | 21.9% | 87.5% | 7.3% |
| Denver | 2.22 | 49.4 | 4.6% | 13.3% | 5.5% | 1938 | $615 | 15.4% | 93.7% | 8.5% |
| Bentley | 2.24 | 52.0 | 3.3% | 11.7% | 6.6% | 1938 | $622 | 12.0% | 95.6% | 10.2% |
| West Point | 2.18 | 41.3 | 9.1% | 15.6% | 5.5% | 1945 | $638 | 29.0% | 89.8% | 2.0% |
| Augusta | 2.13 | 44.5 | 11.8% | 14.9% | 15.3% | 1952 | $622 | 22.9% | 92.0% | 8.7% |
| Basco | 2.24 | 50.3 | 4.4% | 11.9% | 8.0% | 1942 | $646 | 15.9% | 95.6% | 8.2% |
| La Prairie | 2.18 | 44.4 | 5.2% | 14.5% | 11.2% | 1954 | $818 | 21.5% | 92.0% | 3.1% |
| Loraine | 2.05 | 51.3 | 2.2% | 13.9% | 4.2% | 1957 | $670 | 27.0% | 97.2% | 8.2% |
| Golden | 2.19 | 45.5 | 5.9% | 16.2% | 9.3% | 1958 | $753 | 21.6% | 91.8% | 1.9% |
| Plymouth | 2.38 | 42.8 | 6.9% | 14.1% | 8.1% | 1970 | $619 | 21.0% | 87.8% | 6.1% |
| Carthage | 2.20 | 45.8 | 2.8% | 22.6% | 16.0% | 1962 | $686 | 30.6% | 92.5% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Valley View, MO · Wakonda Beach, OR · Wainwright, AK · Sterling, UT · Midvale, ID · Meyersville, TX · Metz, WV · Glen Flora, WI · Vigo, OH · Newport, NJ
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 Bowen. 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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