Population 1,323 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Essex
Household size in Essex
| Period | Essex | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.93 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.92 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.40 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Essex has 2.53 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Illinois as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.93, 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Essex is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Essex: 7.5% of 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.7% of households in Essex rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (49.7%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Essex as nationally: 10.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Illinois overall (8.1%).
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Essex is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $838 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,065 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,086 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,193 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$354 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Essex runs $1,193 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 13.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Essex have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.1%, 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.2% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Essex: 96.5% 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Essex is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (6.0%). 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 | 2.53 | 41.9 | 7.5% | 7.7% | 10.7% | 1990 | $1,193 | 23.1% | 96.5% | 5.0% |
| East Brooklyn | 2.18 | 46.6 | 2.2% | 14.6% | 22.2% | 1964 | $1,275 | 13.6% | 91.4% | 1.8% |
| Union Hill | 2.49 | 45.3 | 11.6% | 9.7% | 5.9% | 1969 | $1,074 | 18.6% | 91.5% | 4.8% |
| South Wilmington | 2.33 | 44.3 | 6.0% | 17.4% | 20.2% | 1969 | $1,245 | 15.2% | 91.9% | 3.6% |
| Godley | 2.57 | 45.7 | 17.9% | 10.6% | 3.7% | 1992 | $1,001 | 12.7% | 96.7% | 2.2% |
| Ritchie | 2.87 | 42.8 | 6.7% | 16.9% | 12.3% | 1981 | $1,107 | 12.4% | 96.4% | 9.6% |
| Reddick | 2.51 | 43.3 | 10.9% | 10.8% | 8.0% | 1971 | $1,089 | 18.6% | 92.5% | 4.6% |
| Braceville | 3.00 | 33.2 | 17.0% | 13.4% | 5.3% | 1976 | $1,112 | 12.7% | 91.6% | 1.8% |
| Bonfield | 2.45 | 45.8 | 8.0% | 9.9% | 2.8% | 1972 | $1,125 | 14.3% | 94.8% | 6.7% |
| Braidwood | 2.47 | 42.1 | 8.2% | 13.5% | 7.7% | 1992 | $1,101 | 17.4% | 93.6% | 2.3% |
| Lakewood Shores | 2.94 | 40.9 | 7.8% | 20.5% | 14.7% | 1982 | $1,058 | 12.5% | 96.8% | 11.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Goshen, OR · Tilden, NE · Tidwell, TN · Tidioute, PA · Sykesville, PA · Lake Shore, MN · Lake George, MI · Lacassine, LA · Kawaihae, HI · Henderson, 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 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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