Population 11,143 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cheltenham
Household size in Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.87 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Cheltenham average 2.67 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.87, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.2 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Cheltenham are younger than 41.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in the wider Chicago area, where the median age is 39.7. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 35.5, mirroring the country.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 28.1% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Cheltenham: 23.2% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Cheltenham has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Chicago neighborhoods.
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 Cheltenham
Renters in Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.2% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 56.9% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.6% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 53.2% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Cheltenham: 53.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 36.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.0 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.2% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.8% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.0% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.0% of the housing in Cheltenham, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.4 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1940 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Cheltenham is a place of older homes: half were built before 1940, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only 11 have older homes.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $917 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $870 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $959 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,110 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$192 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Cheltenham costs $1,110 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $192 a month from 2006–10, a 21% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 40.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 Cheltenham
Bachelor's degrees in Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Cheltenham have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.3 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.9% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.9% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.7% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.7 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Cheltenham never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 14.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Cheltenham
| Period | Cheltenham | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cheltenham runs well above the national rate: 17.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only 11 have higher unemployment. 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).
Cheltenham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham | 2.67 | 41.3 | 23.2% | 53.2% | 18.0% | 1940 | $1,110 | 19.5% | 87.7% | 17.7% |
| South Chicago | 2.60 | 44.9 | 19.8% | 61.0% | 17.8% | 1945 | $857 | 18.6% | 78.7% | 15.0% |
| The Bush | 2.80 | 32.5 | 30.8% | 61.2% | 22.4% | 1946 | $900 | 14.1% | 74.0% | 12.6% |
| Windsor Park | 2.23 | 38.8 | 24.3% | 81.3% | 20.4% | 1946 | $1,095 | 24.3% | 86.8% | 15.7% |
| Pill Hill | 2.02 | 51.5 | 16.2% | 26.0% | 9.6% | 1954 | $1,011 | 34.2% | 95.8% | 10.4% |
| Calumet Heights | 2.04 | 48.7 | 16.4% | 30.0% | 7.3% | 1952 | $1,135 | 38.1% | 93.6% | 13.1% |
| Avalon Park | 2.34 | 46.5 | 23.3% | 33.7% | 18.4% | 1946 | $1,068 | 34.5% | 92.9% | 13.0% |
| South Shore | 2.12 | 39.3 | 22.6% | 72.1% | 11.0% | 1948 | $1,127 | 25.5% | 88.7% | 15.1% |
| Essex | 2.13 | 40.8 | 21.3% | 58.3% | 18.0% | 1957 | $1,220 | 24.0% | 87.8% | 14.2% |
| Italian Bowery | 1.85 | 40.8 | 18.2% | 86.3% | 15.3% | 1953 | $1,138 | 12.4% | 85.0% | 20.7% |
| South Deering | 2.45 | 45.2 | 14.4% | 46.5% | 14.7% | 1944 | $1,159 | 14.9% | 83.9% | 13.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Cathedral Park, Portland, OR · Airport-Pines Road, Shreveport, LA · Cleveland Park, Washington, DC · Glendale-Heatherdowns, Toledo, OH · Sunnyside, Clackamas, OR · Alderwood Manor, Lynnwood, WA · McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN · Northwest Akron, Akron, OH · Prospect Park, Minneapolis, MN · North Deering, Portland, ME
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 Cheltenham. 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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