Population 241 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Harper
Household size in Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Harper run a little small, averaging 2.54 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.9 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.9 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.4 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Harper skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.0, 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.9% of households in Harper, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Harper
Renters in Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 8.5% of households in Harper rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Harper: 22.6% 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +6 |
Harper 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. The picture is much the same across 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $677 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $739 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $751 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $834 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$156 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Harper runs $834 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.3% 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 Harper
Bachelor's degrees in Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Harper (31.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Harper: 96.7% 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 Harper
| Period | Harper | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Harper out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force 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).
Harper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper | 2.54 | 49.0 | 2.9% | 8.5% | 22.6% | 1968 | $834 | 31.6% | 96.7% | 0.0% |
| Forreston | 2.35 | 43.9 | 9.1% | 15.5% | 6.7% | 1958 | $869 | 19.7% | 91.5% | 5.0% |
| Shannon | 2.36 | 55.4 | 2.6% | 10.0% | 34.5% | 1976 | $664 | 26.6% | 94.5% | 0.7% |
| Baileyville | 1.93 | 53.6 | 6.0% | 6.8% | 5.2% | 1946 | $869 | 35.2% | 98.2% | 3.1% |
| Haldane | 3.29 | 32.8 | 1.6% | 23.3% | 5.1% | 1975 | $905 | 12.1% | 95.5% | 0.0% |
| Florence | 2.20 | 58.5 | 10.4% | 14.7% | 16.6% | 1969 | $804 | 31.7% | 98.2% | 6.6% |
| Maryland | 3.15 | 35.5 | 2.4% | 23.5% | 5.7% | 1973 | $891 | 13.5% | 94.2% | 1.1% |
| Lanark | 2.41 | 47.6 | 8.1% | 15.0% | 29.1% | 1964 | $820 | 24.2% | 95.3% | 2.6% |
| Adeline | 2.33 | 49.1 | 8.0% | 29.0% | 8.0% | 1958 | $825 | 21.9% | 88.8% | 6.2% |
| Polo | 2.30 | 36.1 | 13.1% | 35.8% | 10.1% | 1952 | $851 | 16.4% | 91.4% | 2.9% |
| Hazelhurst | 2.27 | 51.4 | 2.7% | 24.7% | 12.4% | 1971 | $977 | 22.4% | 94.3% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Padonia, KS · Onaway, ID · Opekiska, WV · Oplin, TX · Opossum, TN · Oral, SD · Orangeburg, KY · Orwell, PA · Orwin, PA · Oscar, TX
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 Harper. 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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