Population 12,564 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Harvard
Household size in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.82 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.32 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.97 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.91 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Harvard is a place of big households: 2.91 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has crept up from 2.82 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.6 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.3 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.3, Harvard is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 are younger.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Harvard (16.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Harvard has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Harvard
Renters in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.3% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.0% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.4% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Harvard own their homes; 30.4% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 47.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Harvard than nationally: 7.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The Chicago area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Harvard was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Chicago area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $931 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,060 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,036 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,289 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$358 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Harvard costs $1,289 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $358 a month since 2006–10, up 38%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the south.
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 Harvard
Bachelor's degrees in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Harvard have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.4% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.3% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 74.3% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.7% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Harvard never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 8.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Harvard has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Harvard runs well above the national rate: 7.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Harvard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 2.91 | 34.3 | 16.2% | 30.4% | 7.5% | 1978 | $1,289 | 19.8% | 85.7% | 7.6% |
| Lawrence | 3.17 | 30.0 | 17.0% | 45.9% | 3.8% | 1992 | $1,189 | 22.4% | 81.6% | 7.0% |
| Hartland | 2.35 | 51.9 | 7.6% | 3.2% | 11.1% | 1980 | $1,231 | 29.0% | 98.0% | 8.3% |
| Capron | 3.10 | 33.0 | 22.6% | 19.1% | 6.8% | 1987 | $998 | 22.6% | 84.7% | 17.1% |
| Walworth | 2.54 | 41.4 | 11.0% | 34.9% | 14.3% | 1980 | $974 | 31.1% | 89.2% | 3.3% |
| Sharon | 2.69 | 37.7 | 10.5% | 29.4% | 4.9% | 1954 | $1,207 | 18.6% | 88.6% | 3.3% |
| Fontana-on-Geneva Lake | 2.22 | 54.8 | 4.3% | 19.3% | 48.0% | 1971 | $1,689 | 57.8% | 94.7% | 3.3% |
| Hebron | 2.75 | 43.1 | 17.2% | 22.3% | 6.0% | 1978 | $972 | 19.8% | 91.7% | 3.3% |
| Linton | 2.44 | 41.1 | 15.2% | 18.6% | 18.3% | 1975 | $865 | 38.4% | 91.2% | 1.6% |
| Fontana | 2.28 | 57.1 | 6.1% | 16.5% | 53.0% | 1980 | $1,791 | 54.1% | 97.1% | 1.2% |
| Franklinville | 2.91 | 40.3 | 5.5% | 14.8% | 10.8% | 1992 | $1,677 | 36.2% | 89.6% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pelzer, SC · Paris, KY · Parker, SC · Pass Christian, MS · Patchogue, NY · Paw Paw, MI · Pearl River, LA · Pedley, CA · Pella, IA · Palmer Town, MA
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 Harvard. 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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