Population 3,530 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in College Creek
Household size in College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.36 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.21 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.09 | 2.31 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.35 | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in College Creek are small: just 2.09 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. Household size has dropped from 2.44 in 2006–10, 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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.1 | 29.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 23.9 | 30.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 24.2 | 30.0 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 27.2 | 31.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.0 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 27.2, College Creek is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties.
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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.0% | 4.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 1.4% | 4.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 4.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.8% | 4.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in College Creek: 1.8% 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 College Creek
Renters in College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.7% | 55.1% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 79.5% | 56.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 77.9% | 57.0% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.6% | 55.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +0.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in College Creek rent: 73.6% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About a third of owners (34.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.2% | 4.9% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 7.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 10.4% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +4.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in College Creek: 11.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Ames 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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2000 | 1980 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1998 | 1981 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1998 | 1985 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2004 | 1987 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
College Creek has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2004, versus 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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $781 | $774 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $853 | $802 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $980 | $949 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,062 | $1,022 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$281 | +$248 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in College Creek pays $1,062 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Ames as a whole looks much the same. The typical renter here spends 26.9% of household income on rent, comfortably 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 College Creek
Bachelor's degrees in College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.5% | 56.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 63.6% | 59.1% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 68.8% | 56.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 51.7% | 66.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −14.8 pts | +9.8 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College Creek is highly educated: just over half of adults 25 and older (51.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in Ames as a whole (66.0%).
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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.9% | 96.3% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.1% | 98.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.6% | 96.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.5% | 96.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +0.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in College Creek: 98.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 College Creek
| Period | College Creek | Ames | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.9% | 7.0% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 5.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in College Creek runs well above the national rate: 8.2% 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).
College Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Creek | 2.09 | 27.2 | 1.8% | 73.6% | 11.2% | 2004 | $1,062 | 51.7% | 98.5% | 8.2% |
| Crawford | 3.42 | 20.6 | 3.1% | 81.4% | 33.8% | 1993 | $924 | 51.6% | 87.5% | 10.8% |
| Iowa State University | 2.13 | 20.3 | 4.0% | 82.3% | 9.1% | 1987 | $986 | 82.2% | 99.0% | 6.2% |
| Meredith | 2.57 | 36.0 | 10.7% | 44.9% | 11.5% | 1973 | $1,185 | 31.7% | 88.4% | 3.3% |
| Lower Beaver | 2.37 | 36.4 | 18.0% | 26.3% | 7.5% | 1962 | $1,460 | 34.0% | 87.0% | 2.2% |
| Oak Park | 2.24 | 39.9 | 24.5% | 20.5% | 9.4% | 1943 | $1,207 | 24.1% | 85.7% | 1.6% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
| Douglas Acres | 2.64 | 36.8 | 17.1% | 38.7% | 6.1% | 1971 | $1,179 | 17.5% | 85.9% | 6.3% |
| Merle Hay | 2.08 | 40.8 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 6.0% | 1955 | $1,228 | 35.3% | 93.7% | 4.4% |
| Beaverdale | 1.99 | 42.0 | 6.5% | 24.1% | 7.7% | 1944 | $1,253 | 48.7% | 95.1% | 6.4% |
| Union Park | 2.77 | 33.9 | 16.5% | 20.2% | 7.1% | 1946 | $1,320 | 15.9% | 80.2% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Woodcrest, Coon Rapids, MN · Royal Ridge, San Antonio, TX · Meadow Park, Rochester, MN · Downtown West, Gary, IN · Barrio Campanilla, Toa Baja, PR · Eden Isle, Horizon West, FL · Johnson Ranch, Roseville, CA · Lake Shore, New Orleans, LA · Stablewood-Valley Hi North-Houston, Cypress, TX · East Hillside, Duluth, MN
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 College Creek. 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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