Population 1,748 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dowling
Household size in Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.03 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.41 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Dowling are large by national standards, averaging 3.03 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.62 in 2006–10, 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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.9 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.2 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
At 39.9, the median age in Dowling is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in the Grand Rapids area overall, where the median age is 38.3.
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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.4% of households in Dowling, 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 Dowling
Renters in Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dowling is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over four in ten owners (41.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as 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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Dowling than nationally: 12.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Dowling is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $699 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $737 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $811 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,141 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$443 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dowling pays $1,141 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 39.9% 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 Dowling
Bachelor's degrees in Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.0% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Dowling: 17.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well 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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.4% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Dowling have finished high school (90.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Grand Rapids area.
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 Dowling
| Period | Dowling | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Dowling than nationally: unemployment was 4.7%, against 5.4%. Still, the rate is higher than in the Grand Rapids area overall (3.9%). 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).
Dowling 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dowling | 3.03 | 39.9 | 5.4% | 9.5% | 12.9% | 1971 | $1,141 | 17.0% | 90.8% | 4.7% |
| Vickery Landing | 3.09 | 40.9 | 6.8% | 9.1% | 9.9% | 1969 | $1,187 | 16.9% | 83.0% | 4.3% |
| Lacey | 3.10 | 38.5 | 5.8% | 8.2% | 8.8% | 1975 | $1,039 | 13.8% | 91.3% | 7.6% |
| Cloverdale | 2.86 | 37.6 | 11.5% | 13.9% | 12.2% | 1978 | $952 | 21.3% | 92.5% | 6.6% |
| Schultz | 2.62 | 51.0 | 4.0% | 4.2% | 20.5% | 1974 | $980 | 23.6% | 91.5% | 4.3% |
| Delton | 2.45 | 55.0 | 3.9% | 5.1% | 24.7% | 1970 | $1,095 | 25.8% | 94.4% | 1.7% |
| Nashville | 2.73 | 39.5 | 9.6% | 18.5% | 5.9% | 1960 | $888 | 10.6% | 90.5% | 10.7% |
| Hickory Corners | 2.80 | 46.8 | 3.3% | 13.7% | 12.7% | 1982 | $1,047 | 54.4% | 99.1% | 2.9% |
| Hastings | 2.46 | 43.1 | 9.5% | 18.9% | 6.9% | 1966 | $841 | 24.3% | 93.0% | 4.0% |
| Level Park-Oak Park | 2.64 | 38.9 | 9.9% | 5.0% | 7.8% | 1964 | $930 | 19.6% | 91.5% | 6.4% |
| Bellevue | 2.65 | 43.8 | 8.8% | 10.2% | 8.1% | 1968 | $1,056 | 14.1% | 93.4% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Alexandria, PA · Brookdale, CA · Brodnax, VA · Britton, SD · Bowman, ND · Beckville, TX · Baxter, IA · Crooks, SD · Au Sable Forks, NY · Attapulgus, GA
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 Dowling. 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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