Population 1,256 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Elsah
Household size in Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
At 2.67 people per household, Elsah sits close to the national average of 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 climbed from 2.43, 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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.1 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.4 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 40.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.7, the median age in Elsah is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.5% of households in Elsah, 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 Elsah
Renters in Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 28.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 31.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Elsah rent their homes (28.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. The picture is much the same across the St. Louis area. Among homeowners, 47.6% have no mortgage at all, 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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Elsah: 22.8% 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.
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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Elsah are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, 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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $836 | $825 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $964 | $920 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $797 | $1,010 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,142 | $1,239 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$306 | +$414 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Elsah pays $1,142 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 18.9% 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 Elsah
Bachelor's degrees in Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 30.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.6% | 32.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.0% | 34.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Elsah as nationally: 33.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the St. Louis area overall (38.5%).
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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.1% | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 90.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 93.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Elsah: 97.5% 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 Elsah
| Period | Elsah | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Elsah is close to the national rate: 4.7% of the labor force, against 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).
Elsah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsah | 2.67 | 40.7 | 3.5% | 28.0% | 22.8% | 1976 | $1,142 | 33.3% | 97.5% | 4.7% |
| Portage Des Sioux | 2.53 | 45.2 | 4.9% | 11.4% | 17.8% | 1965 | $1,085 | 22.1% | 90.3% | 3.3% |
| Dow | 2.76 | 40.6 | 4.5% | 21.5% | 20.9% | 1970 | $1,199 | 26.7% | 95.7% | 7.0% |
| Grafton | 2.24 | 55.6 | 2.8% | 15.0% | 36.8% | 1986 | $684 | 29.4% | 96.1% | 2.5% |
| Otterville | 2.10 | 53.8 | 6.1% | 18.4% | 30.7% | 1988 | $789 | 19.4% | 94.7% | 0.9% |
| McClusky | 3.22 | 35.5 | 6.6% | 8.7% | 18.3% | 1978 | $880 | 16.3% | 97.9% | 2.8% |
| Orchard Farm | 2.12 | 50.0 | 2.1% | 4.5% | 16.4% | 1966 | $1,060 | 13.4% | 83.7% | 4.1% |
| Godfrey | 2.39 | 47.9 | 7.6% | 17.3% | 7.2% | 1976 | $1,147 | 31.6% | 95.1% | 4.2% |
| West Alton | 3.03 | 36.5 | 4.5% | 14.3% | 29.4% | 1960 | $1,375 | 22.5% | 92.8% | 5.0% |
| Old Jamestown | 2.87 | 43.3 | 16.2% | 12.8% | 3.6% | 1986 | $1,821 | 38.8% | 94.3% | 5.9% |
| South Shore | 2.16 | 47.5 | 6.6% | 5.7% | 12.8% | 1973 | $1,042 | 11.8% | 82.0% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rough Rock, AZ · Millington, IL · Powell, WV · Reidsboro, GA · Richmond, NH · Rider, WV · Ridgway, IL · Rocky Ford, NC · Rosedale, VA · Roslyn Harbor, NY
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 Elsah. 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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