Population 31,289 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Galesburg
Household size in Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.13 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.16 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.13 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.09 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Galesburg are small: just 2.09 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. Household size has edged down from 2.13 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 13 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have 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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.4 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Galesburg skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 40.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the north.
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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Galesburg as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Illinois as a whole (11.3%).
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 Galesburg
Renters in Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.9% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Galesburg rent their homes (35.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 57.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the north. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.3 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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Galesburg than nationally: 13.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Galesburg has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Galesburg is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1956 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $588 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $607 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $638 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $854 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$266 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Galesburg costs $854 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $266 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.9% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the center.
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 Galesburg
Bachelor's degrees in Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.3% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Galesburg have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southwest.
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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Galesburg have finished high school as nationally: 87.8%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Illinois overall (90.3%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.2 points, mirroring the country.
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 Galesburg
| Period | Galesburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Galesburg runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 5.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Galesburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg | 2.09 | 42.2 | 12.4% | 35.9% | 13.0% | 1959 | $854 | 20.7% | 87.8% | 4.4% |
| East Galesburg | 2.26 | 41.0 | 11.6% | 42.2% | 8.1% | 1972 | $924 | 28.2% | 94.6% | 7.8% |
| Henderson | 2.22 | 51.4 | 4.6% | 16.2% | 11.2% | 1958 | $670 | 21.1% | 88.9% | 2.7% |
| Knoxville | 2.23 | 45.4 | 8.8% | 13.2% | 8.4% | 1967 | $670 | 24.0% | 96.9% | 4.4% |
| Henderson Grove | 2.21 | 49.9 | 4.9% | 23.1% | 11.5% | 1979 | $712 | 21.8% | 93.4% | 3.3% |
| Wataga | 2.17 | 37.9 | 9.8% | 22.4% | 9.2% | 1966 | $640 | 15.3% | 92.6% | 2.1% |
| Shanghai City | 2.02 | 48.8 | 4.9% | 16.8% | 6.9% | 1963 | $778 | 20.2% | 92.5% | 9.0% |
| Cameron | 2.25 | 50.9 | 7.4% | 24.9% | 7.8% | 1951 | $705 | 13.9% | 89.3% | 7.0% |
| Gilson | 2.33 | 52.3 | 4.8% | 15.4% | 15.6% | 1958 | $1,010 | 21.1% | 96.5% | 1.7% |
| Gerlaw | 1.98 | 47.8 | 11.2% | 14.4% | 5.9% | 1965 | $751 | 18.1% | 88.3% | 5.2% |
| Rio | 2.84 | 34.7 | 4.5% | 10.5% | 17.6% | 1944 | $752 | 27.5% | 96.5% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jasper, AL · Pullman, WA · Oceanside, NY · Maple Valley, WA · Long Branch, NJ · Locust Grove, GA · Livingston, NJ · Aberdeen, SD · Langhorne, PA · Lancaster, 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 Galesburg. 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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