Population 141 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Guardian
Household size in Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.94 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.56 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Guardian run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across West Virginia. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 1.94, 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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.3 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.7 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.2 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.6 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Guardian skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.7% of households in Guardian, well 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 Guardian
Renters in Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.6% of households in Guardian rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About three-quarters of owners (73.5%) 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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 40.8% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.9% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +20.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Guardian: 41.9% 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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Guardian are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in West Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1976.
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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $907 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $691 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $624 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $769 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$137 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in Guardian runs $769 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 43.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Guardian
Bachelor's degrees in Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Guardian: 13.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.1% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 67.0% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 67.1% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.7% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +22.6 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in six adults in Guardian never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Guardian
| Period | Guardian | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Guardian: 19.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Guardian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian | 2.50 | 50.6 | 7.7% | 14.6% | 41.9% | 1982 | $769 | 13.7% | 81.7% | 19.8% |
| Diana | 2.62 | 49.6 | 6.1% | 13.2% | 38.7% | 1987 | $771 | 14.9% | 81.9% | 19.1% |
| Hacker Valley | 2.26 | 53.4 | 10.4% | 18.3% | 46.3% | 1971 | $766 | 11.6% | 80.1% | 19.6% |
| Chapman | 2.46 | 49.5 | 10.2% | 22.2% | 42.3% | 1975 | $756 | 12.6% | 81.0% | 17.4% |
| Wheeler | 2.26 | 53.4 | 10.4% | 18.3% | 46.3% | 1971 | $766 | 11.6% | 80.1% | 19.6% |
| Replete | 2.36 | 51.2 | 10.2% | 18.9% | 43.9% | 1973 | $737 | 11.8% | 81.1% | 17.8% |
| Centralia | 2.60 | 51.8 | 2.9% | 16.2% | 19.5% | 1978 | $666 | 11.3% | 75.7% | 7.7% |
| Cleveland | 2.26 | 53.2 | 10.3% | 18.1% | 45.2% | 1971 | $769 | 11.7% | 80.4% | 18.9% |
| Newville | 2.83 | 40.1 | 8.8% | 21.6% | 32.4% | 1985 | $594 | 13.0% | 86.3% | 8.9% |
| Wildcat | 2.72 | 39.6 | 9.9% | 21.2% | 29.0% | 1983 | $682 | 16.6% | 87.8% | 8.9% |
| Webster Springs | 2.77 | 43.9 | 10.4% | 26.7% | 40.8% | 1971 | $752 | 15.3% | 83.2% | 9.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cannons Creek, OH · Whitfield, VA · Acequia, ID · Wimberly, AL · Winona, AZ · Winona, IN · Womack, TX · Wonsevu, KS · Cato, MO · Caskey, SC
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 Guardian. 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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