Population 5,385 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Downtown
Household size in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.43 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.41 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.46 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.40 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown are small: just 1.40 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. Only one other St. Louis neighborhood has smaller households.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.3 | 39.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.6 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.2 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.2, Downtown is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 31.0, in line with the national trend. Downtown is younger than at least four in five St. Louis neighborhoods.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 11.5% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.4% of households in Downtown, well below the national share of 11.6%. Compared with other St. Louis neighborhoods, Downtown has a lower share of single-parent households than most.
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 Downtown
Renters in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.0% | 28.3% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 90.7% | 30.1% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 84.3% | 31.1% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 81.7% | 29.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown rent: 81.7% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 46.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 7.4 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.4% | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.2% of the housing in Downtown, 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 has fallen 4.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1944 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −5 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Downtown is a place of older homes: half were built before 1948, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the north has the oldest housing.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $895 | $825 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $986 | $920 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,051 | $1,010 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,250 | $1,239 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$355 | +$414 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in Downtown runs $1,250 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $355 a month from 2006–10, a 40% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just 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 Downtown
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.2% | 30.3% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.7% | 32.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.3% | 34.9% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.9% | 38.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Downtown: 55.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.9% | 88.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.8% | 90.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 92.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.3% | 93.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Downtown: 97.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only three of St. Louis' 39 neighborhoods have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.4% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 4.6 points, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Downtown compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | 1.40 | 34.2 | 7.4% | 81.7% | 18.2% | 1948 | $1,250 | 55.9% | 97.3% | 8.5% |
| Downtown West | 1.40 | 36.5 | 7.8% | 76.8% | 19.1% | 1943 | $1,260 | 57.2% | 91.9% | 4.6% |
| Soulard | 1.87 | 35.3 | 7.4% | 63.6% | 14.9% | 1938 | $1,143 | 52.1% | 97.1% | 4.8% |
| The Gate District | 1.95 | 41.7 | 9.0% | 49.6% | 11.3% | 1951 | $1,216 | 48.7% | 89.7% | 0.9% |
| Jeff-Vander-Lou | 2.01 | 48.3 | 15.4% | 79.2% | 29.5% | 1958 | $891 | 14.8% | 81.4% | 5.9% |
| Midtown St. Louis | 1.44 | 25.1 | 5.8% | 90.6% | 18.8% | 1986 | $1,075 | 56.2% | 95.3% | 3.7% |
| Grand Center | 1.75 | 30.7 | 20.3% | 90.7% | 17.4% | 1967 | $881 | 25.7% | 89.9% | 3.2% |
| Benton Park | 1.99 | 35.8 | 8.9% | 41.0% | 11.8% | 1938 | $1,014 | 64.4% | 94.3% | 6.8% |
| Tower Grove East | 2.17 | 37.8 | 17.8% | 42.9% | 11.2% | 1938 | $1,183 | 51.9% | 91.7% | 4.8% |
| Benton Park West | 2.22 | 38.4 | 21.8% | 54.1% | 16.5% | 1938 | $1,059 | 44.6% | 88.6% | 10.0% |
| Shaw | 2.14 | 36.5 | 8.0% | 48.7% | 9.8% | 1940 | $1,449 | 73.2% | 97.8% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Arvada Plaza Area, Arvada, CO · Delawanna, Clifton, NJ · Williston North, Williston, VT · College Park, Ladson, SC · Village at North Hills, Northglenn, CO · Johnston-McAlpine, Charlotte, NC · East Albany, Albany, OR · Cape Orl Estates, Wedgefield, FL · Prairie-Piper-KC-KS, Kansas City, KS · Lower Chelsea, Atlantic City, NJ
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 Downtown. 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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