Population 280 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gaastra
Household size in Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.02 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.02 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.85 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.99 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Gaastra is a place of small households, averaging 1.99 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.5 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.6 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 56.8 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 56.8, Gaastra is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 52.5, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Gaastra than nationally: 9.8%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Michigan.
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 Gaastra
Renters in Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Gaastra is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 60.1% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 43.7% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 35.2% of the housing in Gaastra, 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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +3 | +6 |
Gaastra is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $389 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $557 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $527 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $674 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$285 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Gaastra pays $674 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 25.0% 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 Gaastra
Bachelor's degrees in Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.8% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Gaastra have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.8%, 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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Gaastra have finished high school (90.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Michigan.
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 Gaastra
| Period | Gaastra | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Gaastra than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, 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).
Gaastra 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaastra | 1.99 | 56.8 | 9.8% | 17.4% | 35.2% | 1968 | $674 | 23.8% | 90.8% | 4.4% |
| Scott Lake | 1.96 | 57.5 | 9.9% | 16.8% | 36.6% | 1969 | $670 | 24.4% | 90.5% | 4.5% |
| Caspian | 2.19 | 51.1 | 8.0% | 19.6% | 28.6% | 1964 | $739 | 21.2% | 92.7% | 3.1% |
| Stambaugh | 2.01 | 53.7 | 10.6% | 20.4% | 37.9% | 1959 | $572 | 26.0% | 92.6% | 7.6% |
| Iron River | 2.16 | 48.9 | 10.6% | 19.8% | 33.6% | 1958 | $693 | 22.9% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Mineral Hills | 1.96 | 53.8 | 8.2% | 19.5% | 31.6% | 1961 | $793 | 21.3% | 93.7% | 2.2% |
| Pentoga | 2.13 | 61.1 | 13.1% | 10.9% | 43.7% | 1974 | $2,310 | 21.5% | 96.8% | 1.3% |
| Fortune Lake | 1.81 | 62.8 | 2.7% | 5.1% | 36.4% | 1976 | $917 | 26.5% | 95.4% | 8.1% |
| Tipler | 2.28 | 51.0 | 12.7% | 13.3% | 52.2% | 1985 | $808 | 16.0% | 94.3% | 5.1% |
| Alpha | 2.05 | 58.3 | 10.0% | 8.9% | 40.5% | 1971 | $875 | 21.1% | 94.9% | 4.3% |
| Crystal Falls | 2.00 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 13.0% | 33.7% | 1962 | $997 | 22.4% | 95.8% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hilton, GA · Springerton, IL · Spring Seat, TX · Spring Glen, NY · Spring Creek Colony, SD · Southview, PA · Jearoldstown, TN · Holstein, NE · Holly Springs, AR · Holcomb, WA
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 Gaastra. 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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