Population 54 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Essex
Household size in Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.96 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.54 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Essex run small, averaging 2.42 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.96 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.9 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +13.3 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.7, Essex 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Essex: 24.0% of all 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 Essex
Renters in Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 55.2% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.7% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 53.3% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +17.7 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Essex rent: 53.3% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About four in ten owners (39.9%) 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.5% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.4% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Essex: 41.4% 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Essex are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Riverside area.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $477 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $718 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $581 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $847 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$370 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Essex pays $847 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 31.0% of household income on rent, just over 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 Essex
Bachelor's degrees in Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Essex have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 6.7%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.9% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.3% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.8% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.5% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +24.6 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Essex never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Still, the rate is higher than in the wider Riverside area (82.5%).
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.6% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −13.0 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Essex has been low: just 0.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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).
Essex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 2.42 | 44.7 | 24.0% | 53.3% | 41.4% | 1986 | $847 | 6.7% | 85.5% | 0.6% |
| Needles | 2.23 | 50.8 | 11.3% | 45.8% | 34.5% | 1976 | $737 | 11.8% | 81.6% | 15.2% |
| Golden Shores | 1.50 | 67.1 | 7.8% | 38.8% | 31.1% | 1986 | $884 | 14.2% | 90.3% | 0.0% |
| Topock | 1.64 | 64.9 | 7.0% | 35.4% | 43.9% | 1986 | $825 | 21.1% | 88.0% | 0.2% |
| Newberry Springs | 2.26 | 50.7 | 11.8% | 29.5% | 24.8% | 1983 | $942 | 10.6% | 84.8% | 33.5% |
| Daggett | 2.05 | 47.0 | 10.2% | 42.4% | 24.8% | 1970 | $876 | 9.7% | 86.5% | 30.0% |
| Nebo Center | 2.51 | 40.9 | 11.0% | 48.7% | 8.9% | 1977 | $1,553 | 14.3% | 90.3% | 11.6% |
| Wikieup | 1.86 | 65.6 | 4.9% | 3.7% | 27.2% | 2001 | $932 | 19.3% | 92.9% | 1.4% |
| Barstow | 2.78 | 35.1 | 21.4% | 50.5% | 10.3% | 1971 | $1,232 | 15.2% | 87.3% | 10.6% |
| Lenwood | 2.68 | 38.7 | 10.6% | 41.7% | 13.5% | 1976 | $1,079 | 15.3% | 85.5% | 10.9% |
| Hodge | 2.86 | 37.4 | 24.6% | 32.3% | 16.6% | 1980 | $1,067 | 7.4% | 80.2% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Elk Mills, TN · Swan Lake, MS · Swan Lake, MT · Sweetwater, ID · Fossum, MN · Teigen, MT · Emory, UT · Elmo, VA · Elmer, PA · Elkol, WY
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 Essex. 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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