Population 5,365 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bowling Green
Household size in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Bowling Green run a little small, averaging 2.49 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.60 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the east.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.9 | 39.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.5 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.7 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Bowling Green is 37.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 37.4 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 11.5% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Bowling Green: 17.7% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Bowling Green
Renters in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3% | 28.3% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.0% | 30.1% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.0% | 31.1% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.2% | 29.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Bowling Green is about as common as it is nationally: 37.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the St. Louis area as a whole (29.6%). Among owners, 42.6% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Bowling Green: 11.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 3.5 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Bowling Green leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across the St. Louis area. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the north has the oldest housing.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $502 | $825 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $704 | $920 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $636 | $1,010 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $841 | $1,239 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$339 | +$414 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in Bowling Green runs $841 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $339 a month since 2006–10, up 68%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 24.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the southwest.
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 Bowling Green
Bachelor's degrees in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 30.3% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 32.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 34.9% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 38.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bowling Green: 14.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.6% | 88.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.0% | 90.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.9% | 92.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 93.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Bowling Green never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 4.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Bowling Green has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Missouri cities.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bowling Green runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.0 points from 2006–10, as it has 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).
Bowling Green 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 2.49 | 37.7 | 17.7% | 37.2% | 11.4% | 1973 | $841 | 14.9% | 87.4% | 3.6% |
| Tarrants | 2.68 | 39.6 | 8.9% | 20.6% | 13.0% | 1967 | $813 | 12.2% | 83.2% | 0.7% |
| St. Clement | 2.31 | 41.5 | 11.3% | 14.6% | 7.5% | 1992 | $782 | 16.6% | 95.1% | 0.5% |
| Vera | 2.52 | 46.0 | 8.9% | 16.9% | 8.2% | 1980 | $875 | 19.8% | 90.5% | 3.0% |
| Cyrene | 2.25 | 44.1 | 7.9% | 13.0% | 6.3% | 1991 | $801 | 17.0% | 95.4% | 0.5% |
| Farmer | 2.74 | 36.8 | 13.3% | 11.3% | 10.7% | 1988 | $792 | 21.3% | 96.0% | 1.4% |
| Curryville | 2.91 | 38.6 | 13.1% | 10.6% | 16.1% | 1990 | $779 | 17.8% | 87.8% | 0.5% |
| Stark | 2.36 | 48.9 | 6.4% | 17.2% | 4.5% | 1982 | $888 | 21.0% | 94.4% | 2.2% |
| Louisville | 2.69 | 39.4 | 13.6% | 6.4% | 11.4% | 1991 | $810 | 25.0% | 90.9% | 2.2% |
| Edgewood | 2.57 | 39.5 | 12.2% | 15.5% | 13.5% | 1985 | $838 | 20.8% | 89.8% | 0.8% |
| Louisiana | 2.45 | 42.3 | 16.3% | 30.8% | 20.5% | 1954 | $710 | 15.6% | 86.3% | 8.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sparks Glencoe, MD · Spring Arbor, MI · Spooner, WI · Sperry, OK · Connell, WA · Spencer, TN · Osage, IA · Sparta, NC · Sparta, GA · Columbus, WI
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 Bowling Green. 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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