Population 75,433 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Decatur: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Decatur
Household size in Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Decatur is a place of small households, averaging 2.28 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.35, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Decatur are younger than 41.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 40.6 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the west, 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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Decatur as they are nationally: 12.5%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Illinois overall (11.3%).
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 Decatur
Renters in Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.8% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Decatur rent their homes (34.8%), the same as the national share. About half of owners (50.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.8 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 13.8% of the housing in Decatur, 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. Vacancy is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, 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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Decatur is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Decatur has older homes than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $662 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $727 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $754 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $903 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$241 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Decatur runs $903 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $241 a month from 2006–10, a 36% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the center.
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 Decatur
Bachelor's degrees in Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Decatur: 21.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.4 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the center.
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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.1% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Decatur have finished high school (91.6%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Illinois. The share with a diploma has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Decatur
| Period | Decatur | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Decatur: 8.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only 32 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. 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).
Decatur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 2.28 | 41.0 | 12.5% | 34.8% | 13.8% | 1961 | $903 | 21.8% | 91.6% | 8.6% |
| Elwin | 2.24 | 48.5 | 3.6% | 10.0% | 9.7% | 1962 | $922 | 24.8% | 95.3% | 2.1% |
| Forsyth | 2.78 | 42.2 | 5.7% | 12.2% | 4.6% | 1994 | $858 | 59.2% | 98.2% | 4.5% |
| Long Creek | 2.55 | 42.8 | 6.7% | 7.7% | 3.1% | 1979 | $855 | 24.3% | 94.2% | 4.9% |
| Harristown | 2.57 | 39.4 | 7.5% | 13.4% | 12.3% | 1964 | $840 | 15.7% | 94.5% | 4.8% |
| Mount Zion | 2.62 | 43.3 | 6.2% | 17.7% | 3.6% | 1980 | $749 | 31.6% | 98.1% | 2.8% |
| Oreana | 2.47 | 40.9 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 11.9% | 1971 | $926 | 26.2% | 95.1% | 2.8% |
| Boody | 2.29 | 44.5 | 17.2% | 19.0% | 4.3% | 1961 | $950 | 37.6% | 96.6% | 5.9% |
| Warrensburg | 2.53 | 47.4 | 6.8% | 16.2% | 12.9% | 1971 | $775 | 27.9% | 95.4% | 2.7% |
| Oakley | 2.43 | 50.2 | 7.0% | 2.3% | 9.9% | 1972 | $894 | 36.2% | 98.0% | 2.0% |
| Argenta | 2.44 | 47.7 | 9.2% | 10.0% | 10.3% | 1968 | $1,018 | 27.7% | 94.6% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stockbridge, GA · Sunrise Manor, NV · Sylmar, CA · Sterling Heights, MI · Sunrise, FL · Summerville, SC · Sugar Land, TX · Temecula, CA · Temple, TX · Thornton, CO
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 Decatur. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.