Population 390 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Desert
Household size in Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.98 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.10 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Desert average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. The picture is much the same across Texas. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.98, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.5 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.3, Desert is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Desert: 6.4% 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 Desert
Renters in Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.6% of households in Desert rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (50.2%) 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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Desert than nationally: 6.6%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1995 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1997 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +8 | +6 |
Desert has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2000, 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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $698 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $767 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,207 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $887 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$189 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Desert runs $887 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 20.9% 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 Desert
Bachelor's degrees in Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Desert (26.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below 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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.5% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.8% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.5% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Desert is close to the national rate: 90.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in Texas overall (85.8%).
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 Desert
| Period | Desert | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Desert has been low: just 2.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Desert 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert | 2.78 | 45.3 | 6.4% | 13.6% | 6.6% | 2000 | $887 | 26.9% | 90.5% | 2.1% |
| Nobility | 3.33 | 37.7 | 7.7% | 19.2% | 4.5% | 2005 | $1,136 | 25.4% | 88.8% | 2.8% |
| Pilot Grove | 3.36 | 37.3 | 7.7% | 19.7% | 4.3% | 2005 | $1,125 | 25.3% | 88.9% | 2.9% |
| Trenton | 3.10 | 38.5 | 7.6% | 15.7% | 15.3% | 1991 | $1,200 | 21.3% | 89.3% | 2.4% |
| Westminster | 2.83 | 43.4 | 7.1% | 11.1% | 6.0% | 2008 | $1,310 | 28.1% | 90.1% | 2.0% |
| Cannon | 2.49 | 49.1 | 5.3% | 10.5% | 8.2% | 1994 | $601 | 30.0% | 93.8% | 1.7% |
| Whitewright | 2.66 | 42.0 | 9.8% | 17.8% | 12.5% | 1989 | $882 | 24.2% | 93.6% | 2.9% |
| Orangeville | 3.17 | 39.2 | 8.3% | 10.6% | 13.8% | 1995 | $1,169 | 25.0% | 91.4% | 2.0% |
| Blue Ridge | 3.00 | 40.5 | 8.1% | 10.6% | 6.5% | 2000 | $1,568 | 26.1% | 91.5% | 2.7% |
| Pike | 3.08 | 39.1 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 1999 | $1,286 | 24.8% | 93.1% | 4.1% |
| Leonard | 2.99 | 40.6 | 12.2% | 25.1% | 11.0% | 1988 | $1,092 | 17.3% | 85.4% | 7.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Gibbs, MO · Sharon Center, IA · Goldbug, KY · Glendale, IN · Gilliam, MO · Gilboa, WV · Gifford, WA · Gifford, SC · Giese, MN · Gibisonville, OH
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 Desert. 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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