Population 531 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lightwood
Household size in Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Lightwood average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.65 in 2006–10, 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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 41.4, the median age in Lightwood is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.7% of households in Lightwood, 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 Lightwood
Renters in Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.7% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.2% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.9 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Lightwood is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 12.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 63.5% have no mortgage at all, 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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.5% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.4% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 24.7% of the housing in Lightwood, 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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1999 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +18 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Lightwood is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1999, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $692 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $511 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $727 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $841 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$149 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lightwood pays $841 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 32.6% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 Lightwood
Bachelor's degrees in Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lightwood have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.3%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.2% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.9% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.0% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.0% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Lightwood have finished high school (92.0%), a bit 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 Lightwood
| Period | Lightwood | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Lightwood has been strong: just 0.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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).
Lightwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightwood | 2.78 | 41.4 | 5.7% | 12.8% | 24.7% | 1999 | $841 | 21.3% | 92.0% | 0.2% |
| Titus | 3.03 | 42.8 | 8.4% | 13.8% | 18.3% | 1988 | $1,100 | 26.2% | 84.4% | 0.0% |
| Speed | 1.96 | 63.9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | 45.4% | 1984 | $710 | 23.3% | 96.9% | 0.0% |
| Pine Flat | 2.74 | 34.8 | 7.5% | 2.8% | 21.6% | 2003 | $995 | 15.0% | 86.6% | 7.5% |
| Holtville | 2.62 | 35.5 | 15.7% | 23.7% | 15.2% | 1993 | $942 | 21.4% | 89.6% | 2.1% |
| Marbury | 2.75 | 41.0 | 4.9% | 9.0% | 14.0% | 1989 | $845 | 22.9% | 92.3% | 5.0% |
| Verbena | 2.20 | 46.8 | 5.8% | 14.5% | 17.1% | 1989 | $669 | 10.6% | 86.0% | 9.4% |
| Hissop | 2.10 | 57.1 | 7.5% | 11.8% | 33.7% | 1985 | $736 | 18.6% | 91.1% | 4.9% |
| New Prospect | 2.66 | 44.3 | 8.6% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1991 | $908 | 15.5% | 92.5% | 0.8% |
| Equality | 2.14 | 60.3 | 6.5% | 3.4% | 37.1% | 1994 | $841 | 29.1% | 94.3% | 0.0% |
| Santuck | 2.12 | 50.9 | 4.2% | 6.8% | 7.8% | 1989 | $735 | 25.9% | 80.6% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Villa Ridge, IL · Dilltown, PA · Dinosaur, CO · Dixie, MS · Donnally Mills, PA · Dorchester, IA · Dos Rios, CA · Union Water Works, PA · Upton, TX · Varney, MT
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 Lightwood. 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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