Population 11,516 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dowagiac
Household size in Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Dowagiac are small: just 2.29 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.46, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.5 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Dowagiac skews older than the country: its median age is 43.8, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.4, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Dowagiac (12.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Michigan as a whole (10.7%). The single-parent share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Dowagiac
Renters in Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Dowagiac own their homes; 25.2% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 47.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.4% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Dowagiac: 19.3% of homes are empty, 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 down 3.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Dowagiac is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Dowagiac has older homes than the great majority of Michigan 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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $596 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $647 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $675 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $867 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$271 | +$395 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Dowagiac costs $867 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $271 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Dowagiac
Bachelor's degrees in Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dowagiac have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 6.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.0% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.2% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.1% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Dowagiac is close to the national rate: 89.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Michigan overall (91.8%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.1 points, 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 Dowagiac
| Period | Dowagiac | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Dowagiac: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have higher unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Dowagiac 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dowagiac | 2.29 | 43.8 | 12.4% | 25.2% | 19.3% | 1960 | $867 | 19.0% | 89.1% | 8.5% |
| Pokagon | 2.15 | 45.8 | 9.6% | 23.7% | 13.3% | 1964 | $862 | 19.0% | 89.6% | 6.3% |
| La Grange | 2.15 | 44.5 | 16.1% | 39.3% | 5.8% | 1965 | $886 | 17.7% | 84.5% | 9.2% |
| Indian Lake | 2.30 | 48.3 | 8.8% | 21.8% | 19.0% | 1956 | $751 | 21.3% | 93.1% | 4.1% |
| Glenwood | 2.43 | 46.1 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 18.6% | 1975 | $939 | 15.6% | 84.8% | 7.0% |
| Sister Lakes | 2.28 | 46.1 | 4.0% | 11.9% | 29.1% | 1967 | $767 | 22.3% | 90.8% | 3.0% |
| Sumnerville | 2.67 | 44.4 | 4.0% | 12.2% | 10.7% | 1974 | $876 | 19.6% | 92.6% | 3.5% |
| Naomi | 2.68 | 41.3 | 9.2% | 16.0% | 16.0% | 1965 | $703 | 17.0% | 93.0% | 3.2% |
| Penn | 2.55 | 50.7 | 3.7% | 7.5% | 39.3% | 1980 | $1,251 | 39.6% | 91.6% | 5.3% |
| Keeler | 2.91 | 41.8 | 5.7% | 6.3% | 27.6% | 1973 | $724 | 21.5% | 84.1% | 8.9% |
| Volinia | 2.68 | 41.5 | 14.3% | 3.7% | 29.9% | 1973 | $836 | 20.1% | 85.6% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Olney, IL · Manteno, IL · Marengo, IL · Marion, VA · Marshall, MI · Maxton, NC · Oakland, TN · Oberlin, OH · Ocean City, NJ · Manistee, MI
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 Dowagiac. 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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