Population 3,055 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Defiance
Household size in Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.92 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.66 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Defiance average 2.66 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the wider St. Louis area, where it has 2.46 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.92, 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.6 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.2 | 39.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.9 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Defiance skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.0, 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.7% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 11.5% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.5% of households in Defiance, well below 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 Defiance
Renters in Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 28.3% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 30.1% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 31.1% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 29.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 4.9% of households in Defiance rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 28.8% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Defiance as nationally: 8.3%, 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1992 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Defiance is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1997, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $722 | $825 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $755 | $920 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $934 | $1,010 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,339 | $1,239 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$616 | +$414 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Defiance costs $1,339 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in the wider St. Louis area ($1,239). The typical renter here spends 49.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Defiance
Bachelor's degrees in Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2% | 30.3% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.5% | 32.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.7% | 34.9% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.0% | 38.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.9 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Defiance is highly educated: more than half of adults 25 and older (55.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.5% | 88.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.4% | 90.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.2% | 92.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 93.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Defiance: 96.5% 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 Defiance
| Period | Defiance | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.5% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Defiance has been strong: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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).
Defiance 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance | 2.66 | 48.0 | 3.5% | 4.9% | 8.3% | 1997 | $1,339 | 55.0% | 96.5% | 2.0% |
| Matson | 2.22 | 56.3 | 2.3% | 3.8% | 7.6% | 1990 | $1,320 | 47.0% | 97.6% | 3.2% |
| Schluersburg | 2.79 | 39.8 | 10.3% | 5.0% | 6.8% | 1993 | $1,276 | 28.6% | 97.0% | 2.0% |
| New Melle | 2.89 | 47.3 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 6.1% | 1995 | $1,460 | 49.5% | 96.8% | 2.2% |
| Augusta | 2.42 | 50.9 | 6.3% | 3.7% | 7.7% | 1986 | $1,321 | 33.6% | 98.2% | 3.3% |
| St. Albans | 2.54 | 48.9 | 3.4% | 15.2% | 3.3% | 1993 | $830 | 45.6% | 94.0% | 3.2% |
| Weldon Spring Heights | 2.62 | 49.7 | 3.6% | 20.2% | 10.4% | 2000 | $3,382 | 58.2% | 96.9% | 0.4% |
| Lake St. Louis | 2.75 | 41.2 | 7.1% | 16.8% | 4.4% | 2002 | $1,660 | 51.5% | 97.3% | 3.1% |
| Dardenne Prairie | 2.79 | 41.1 | 8.1% | 17.6% | 3.8% | 2002 | $1,561 | 53.5% | 98.5% | 2.2% |
| O'fallon | 2.64 | 39.7 | 9.7% | 20.4% | 3.7% | 1996 | $1,403 | 39.3% | 94.7% | 3.5% |
| Petersville | 2.55 | 43.0 | 4.7% | 15.6% | 1.8% | 1988 | $1,270 | 32.7% | 89.7% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sands Point, NY · Hickory, KY · Alpine, NJ · Iota, LA · Julian, NC · Lakeside-Marblehead, OH · Marathon, NY · Norridgewock, ME · Polo, IL · Hinton, WV
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 Defiance. 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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