Population 20,114 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Jacksonville
Household size in Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Jacksonville is a place of small households, averaging 2.39 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.28, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the east.
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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 41.0, the median age in Jacksonville is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 40.4, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Jacksonville (10.5%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Illinois. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Jacksonville
Renters in Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Jacksonville is about as common as it is nationally: 32.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 41.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the southwest. The renter share has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, 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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.9% of the housing in Jacksonville, 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. Vacancy is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Jacksonville is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, 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 1958 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, 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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $608 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $627 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $789 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $762 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$154 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Jacksonville pays $762 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $154 a month from 2006–10, a 25% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only 16 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have lower rents.
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 Jacksonville
Bachelor's degrees in Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Jacksonville have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.6%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 0.8 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Jacksonville never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Jacksonville has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five 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 Jacksonville
| Period | Jacksonville | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Jacksonville runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.1 points, 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).
Jacksonville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 2.39 | 41.0 | 10.5% | 32.7% | 15.9% | 1962 | $762 | 23.6% | 86.8% | 4.3% |
| South Jacksonville | 2.07 | 43.4 | 16.0% | 30.1% | 7.5% | 1966 | $731 | 24.2% | 93.2% | 16.4% |
| Arnold | 2.27 | 58.5 | 2.9% | 4.2% | 13.8% | 1968 | $1,033 | 31.1% | 87.5% | 1.8% |
| Pisgah | 2.74 | 51.8 | 1.8% | 11.7% | 12.8% | 1989 | $1,022 | 35.2% | 98.0% | 0.4% |
| Lynnville | 2.56 | 46.7 | 6.0% | 6.1% | 16.2% | 1970 | $1,071 | 30.3% | 89.0% | 2.7% |
| Sinclair | 2.21 | 58.8 | 2.8% | 3.4% | 15.1% | 1964 | $1,045 | 30.2% | 86.0% | 1.7% |
| Woodson | 2.36 | 49.4 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 14.9% | 1990 | $1,080 | 30.1% | 98.4% | 1.0% |
| Literberry | 2.44 | 52.4 | 2.0% | 9.7% | 17.8% | 1965 | $1,071 | 28.1% | 89.5% | 0.5% |
| Merritt | 2.40 | 43.8 | 8.2% | 20.4% | 15.4% | 1960 | $769 | 18.8% | 91.5% | 1.3% |
| Chapin | 2.64 | 41.2 | 11.0% | 14.0% | 6.4% | 1954 | $820 | 24.2% | 97.0% | 6.6% |
| Concord | 2.18 | 54.6 | 2.6% | 10.7% | 2.9% | 1971 | $694 | 17.7% | 96.2% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cheney, WA · Clinton, NC · Cleveland, GA · Clarksville, IN · Clarksburg, WV · Ciales, PR · Choctaw, OK · Chino Valley, AZ · Chesterton, IN · Cherry Hill, NJ
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 Jacksonville. 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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