Population 9,737 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in La Center
Household size in La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.82 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.63 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.63 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.90 | 2.51 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.06 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
The typical household in La Center holds 2.90 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.82, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the west.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 37.3 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.4 | 38.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.4 | 39.3 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.1 | 41.0 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +3.7 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in La Center are younger than 40.1 and half are older, the same as the national median. The median age has crept up from 39.4 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the south.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 9.5% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.3% of households in La Center, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.3 points, mirroring the country. La Center has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Washington 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 La Center
Renters in La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 39.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 37.6% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 38.3% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.5% of households in La Center rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly four in ten owners (38.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.2 points, mirroring the country.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 7.4% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 6.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 6.1% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 7.1% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in La Center as nationally: 9.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Portland area overall (7.1%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.3 points, 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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1992 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1995 | 1981 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in La Center is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1995, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1990 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. La Center has newer homes than at least four in five Washington cities.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $935 | $961 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,277 | $1,105 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,524 | $1,374 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,814 | $1,794 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$879 | +$833 | +$858 | +$606 |
A typical rental in La Center costs $1,814 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $879 a month from 2006–10, a 94% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 37.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the southeast.
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 La Center
Bachelor's degrees in La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 33.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.4% | 34.5% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 39.2% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.2% | 42.6% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in La Center (26.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.0 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the northwest.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 90.0% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.2% | 90.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.0% | 91.9% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 93.2% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in La Center have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Portland area.
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 La Center
| Period | La Center | Portland area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 8.6% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 9.6% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in La Center runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 5.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
La Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Center | 2.90 | 40.1 | 5.3% | 16.5% | 9.7% | 1995 | $1,814 | 26.2% | 92.8% | 3.5% |
| Woodland | 3.08 | 36.8 | 10.6% | 27.2% | 4.6% | 1995 | $1,782 | 18.4% | 87.4% | 2.8% |
| Paradise | 3.04 | 34.9 | 13.4% | 19.9% | 5.8% | 1996 | $1,092 | 47.0% | 92.5% | 2.7% |
| Ridgefield | 2.83 | 40.6 | 6.6% | 16.1% | 6.2% | 2002 | $2,283 | 40.2% | 95.7% | 6.1% |
| Amboy | 2.76 | 40.3 | 6.3% | 16.5% | 10.9% | 1992 | $1,401 | 24.5% | 96.1% | 3.6% |
| Battle Ground | 2.93 | 39.8 | 6.4% | 18.2% | 5.0% | 1996 | $1,817 | 29.0% | 94.1% | 3.6% |
| Sara | 2.81 | 36.1 | 4.9% | 13.2% | 4.4% | 2009 | $2,520 | 48.1% | 96.7% | 2.8% |
| Columbia City | 2.65 | 46.7 | 8.4% | 14.6% | 2.1% | 1992 | $1,978 | 17.8% | 93.4% | 3.4% |
| St. Helens | 2.58 | 40.8 | 16.9% | 36.0% | 5.8% | 1982 | $1,556 | 19.8% | 90.0% | 3.1% |
| Yacolt | 3.22 | 33.7 | 3.7% | 11.3% | 7.7% | 1994 | $1,774 | 20.4% | 90.0% | 2.4% |
| Ariel | 2.92 | 46.7 | 7.3% | 18.2% | 25.3% | 1998 | $1,025 | 17.3% | 87.2% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Abingdon, MD · Succasunna, NJ · St. Robert, MO · Attalla, AL · Sylvester, GA · Ambridge, PA · Tallassee, AL · Alden, NY · Albion, MI · Airway Heights, WA
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 La Center. 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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