Population 833 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cowden
Household size in Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Cowden run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.53, 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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Cowden skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Cowden (14.5%), above the national share of 11.6%.
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 Cowden
Renters in Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Cowden is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (55.9%) 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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Cowden as nationally: 9.1%, against 9.6%.
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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Cowden was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, 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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $592 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $536 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $645 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $759 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$168 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Cowden pays $759 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 18.4% 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 Cowden
Bachelor's degrees in Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Cowden have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.1%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.6% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.1% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Cowden is above the national rate: 93.1% 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 Cowden
| Period | Cowden | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.1%, unemployment in Cowden is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (6.0%). 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).
Cowden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowden | 2.43 | 45.1 | 14.5% | 22.7% | 9.1% | 1976 | $759 | 12.1% | 93.1% | 5.1% |
| Holliday | 2.54 | 39.6 | 9.3% | 15.4% | 3.2% | 1976 | $893 | 15.5% | 94.3% | 4.9% |
| Lakewood Township | 2.39 | 51.5 | 9.1% | 6.1% | 14.2% | 1982 | $855 | 15.3% | 95.3% | 0.5% |
| Mode | 2.56 | 52.7 | 4.9% | 1.3% | 4.5% | 1961 | $738 | 22.8% | 97.9% | 0.1% |
| Beecher City | 2.32 | 34.7 | 7.7% | 40.7% | 6.6% | 1973 | $802 | 18.3% | 91.0% | 2.2% |
| Herrick | 2.49 | 45.4 | 11.1% | 11.4% | 19.3% | 1981 | $908 | 16.6% | 92.2% | 5.0% |
| Holland | 2.52 | 44.3 | 5.7% | 13.3% | 4.5% | 1964 | $751 | 23.0% | 95.6% | 0.8% |
| Wrights Corner | 2.57 | 38.0 | 7.6% | 11.2% | 3.4% | 1980 | $970 | 16.8% | 94.5% | 4.9% |
| Moccasin | 2.36 | 46.5 | 4.1% | 27.3% | 24.2% | 1979 | $847 | 16.9% | 89.2% | 2.6% |
| Tower Hill | 2.26 | 47.6 | 11.0% | 16.0% | 18.5% | 1976 | $718 | 12.9% | 90.2% | 4.8% |
| Shelbyville | 2.31 | 43.7 | 13.0% | 35.5% | 16.3% | 1955 | $766 | 16.6% | 94.3% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pope Mills, NY · Lyons, TX · Manning, OR · Maplehurst, MI · Martins Creek, PA · McBrayer, KY · Middlebury Center, PA · Middlesex, VT · Orbisonia, PA · Pinebur, MS
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 Cowden. 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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