Population 408 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Grand Chain
Household size in Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Grand Chain run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of Illinois.
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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.2 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Grand Chain skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 42.9 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Grand Chain (8.8%), 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 Grand Chain
Renters in Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Grand Chain is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly two-thirds of owners (63.8%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Grand Chain: 17.3% 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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Grand Chain is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. That is in line with the rest of Illinois.
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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $546 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $631 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $654 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $779 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$233 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Grand Chain runs $779 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.8% of the typical renter's income, just 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 Grand Chain
Bachelor's degrees in Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Grand Chain have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.8%, 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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.2% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.8% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Grand Chain is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma, against 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 Grand Chain
| Period | Grand Chain | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Grand Chain runs well above the national rate: 12.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, 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).
Grand Chain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Chain | 2.56 | 46.0 | 8.8% | 17.6% | 17.3% | 1969 | $779 | 12.8% | 94.0% | 12.8% |
| Hillerman | 2.45 | 47.2 | 11.2% | 17.4% | 14.6% | 1971 | $776 | 8.9% | 92.8% | 20.2% |
| Karnak | 2.79 | 43.7 | 7.0% | 12.5% | 20.0% | 1970 | $798 | 19.6% | 95.7% | 5.3% |
| New Grand Chain | 2.14 | 50.2 | 2.5% | 23.9% | 20.5% | 1975 | $713 | 9.5% | 92.1% | 6.6% |
| Ragland | 2.58 | 45.2 | 3.1% | 6.6% | 10.1% | 1997 | $932 | 12.4% | 92.9% | 2.1% |
| Mermet | 2.47 | 47.8 | 6.0% | 7.3% | 18.6% | 1980 | $749 | 17.6% | 95.7% | 9.3% |
| Bandana | 2.65 | 36.8 | 5.4% | 25.9% | 23.5% | 1974 | $935 | 25.9% | 96.2% | 1.4% |
| Joppa | 2.41 | 48.9 | 10.7% | 15.9% | 14.8% | 1971 | $765 | 7.9% | 93.7% | 18.3% |
| Belknap | 2.96 | 41.2 | 11.6% | 12.4% | 19.0% | 1982 | $753 | 15.7% | 91.9% | 2.7% |
| Grinnell | 2.53 | 46.3 | 1.8% | 0.0% | 22.0% | 1990 | $736 | 26.8% | 97.1% | 2.3% |
| Oscar | 2.73 | 32.9 | 3.9% | 21.9% | 32.3% | 1966 | $922 | 29.1% | 97.6% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Webb, OH · Wallaceton, PA · Walnut Hill, FL · Wanderoos, WI · Ward Ridge, FL · Warriormine, WV · Waterford, MN · Waters Bluff, TX · Waverly, WA · Wallace, AR
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 Grand Chain. 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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