Population 1,077 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Central City
Household size in Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.47 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Central City are small: just 2.07 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 2.54, 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.4, Central City is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Central City: 15.1% of all 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 Central City
Renters in Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.4% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Central City rent their homes (30.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. The picture is much the same across Illinois. About six in ten owners (61.0%) 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Central City: 14.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Central City leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $599 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $653 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $765 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $786 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$186 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Central City costs $786 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.0% 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 Central City
Bachelor's degrees in Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Central City: 8.1% 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.0% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.1% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Central City is close to the national rate: 90.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Central City runs well above the national rate: 12.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Central City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central City | 2.07 | 35.4 | 15.1% | 30.4% | 14.8% | 1975 | $786 | 8.1% | 90.1% | 12.9% |
| Centralia | 2.34 | 39.8 | 13.1% | 30.9% | 12.9% | 1966 | $833 | 17.1% | 86.2% | 9.2% |
| Junction City | 2.53 | 41.4 | 25.3% | 18.6% | 9.3% | 1978 | $921 | 8.3% | 75.8% | 8.8% |
| Wamac | 2.24 | 50.0 | 12.8% | 29.6% | 10.0% | 1974 | $800 | 11.8% | 88.4% | 12.1% |
| Sandoval | 2.23 | 44.4 | 16.9% | 23.1% | 19.5% | 1975 | $709 | 10.8% | 85.3% | 5.0% |
| Odin | 2.32 | 46.7 | 14.3% | 23.9% | 11.4% | 1977 | $977 | 10.4% | 93.9% | 2.8% |
| Ferrin | 2.09 | 50.5 | 8.0% | 12.2% | 8.0% | 1977 | $974 | 17.1% | 96.4% | 1.3% |
| Hubbard Woods | 2.68 | 43.6 | 3.9% | 14.5% | 17.2% | 1986 | $804 | 25.6% | 95.1% | 2.0% |
| Walnut Hill | 2.53 | 47.8 | 5.0% | 12.1% | 7.5% | 1986 | $790 | 25.2% | 94.3% | 5.7% |
| Hoffman | 2.51 | 40.8 | 6.1% | 12.1% | 7.3% | 1975 | $872 | 22.2% | 87.5% | 3.5% |
| Irvington | 2.35 | 36.8 | 18.9% | 15.1% | 2.9% | 1974 | $833 | 16.1% | 94.5% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Erskine, MN · Lindside, WV · Leon, KS · Kerby, MI · Kendleton, TX · Hurricane, MO · Hennepin, IL · Grosse Tete, LA · Ferron, UT · Evening Shade, AR
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 Central City. 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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