Population 7,122 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Locks
Household size in Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Locks has 2.46 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.62 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.3 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.6 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.6 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.3 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Locks is young: half of its residents are under 32.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 36.9 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only six 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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Locks (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.3 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 Locks
Renters in Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 59.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.7% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 46.5% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Locks than nationally: 46.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 53.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has fallen 3.6 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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −10.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Locks: 6.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Chicago area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy is down 10.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Locks is a place of older homes: half were built before 1946, 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 1938 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east 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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $784 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $784 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,022 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,472 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$688 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Locks runs $1,472 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $688 a month since 2006–10, up 88%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 Locks
Bachelor's degrees in Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.7% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.9% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.5% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.1 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Locks as nationally: 38.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 21.1 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southwest.
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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.9% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 70.8% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.1% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.0% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Locks never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.1 points, mirroring the country.
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 Locks
| Period | Locks | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Locks than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 7.3 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Locks compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locks | 2.46 | 32.6 | 9.9% | 46.5% | 6.8% | 1946 | $1,472 | 38.5% | 78.0% | 6.4% |
| Bridgeport | 2.38 | 40.2 | 7.3% | 50.5% | 6.9% | 1954 | $1,366 | 40.4% | 84.4% | 5.8% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.77 | 43.8 | 8.2% | 24.0% | 12.9% | 1938 | $1,199 | 28.4% | 77.9% | 7.0% |
| Pilsen | 2.21 | 33.5 | 5.1% | 75.8% | 9.3% | 1947 | $1,463 | 43.1% | 83.1% | 5.5% |
| Armour Square | 2.47 | 43.5 | 12.7% | 61.9% | 6.4% | 1965 | $1,056 | 28.3% | 71.4% | 11.4% |
| Ducktown | 2.60 | 41.1 | 11.2% | 32.0% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,202 | 32.7% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| Lower West Side | 2.35 | 34.7 | 11.1% | 65.8% | 9.3% | 1942 | $1,316 | 39.0% | 75.6% | 8.0% |
| Bronzeville | 2.31 | 36.7 | 9.6% | 61.2% | 7.7% | 1977 | $1,214 | 37.4% | 86.1% | 16.2% |
| Canaryville | 2.57 | 41.3 | 11.0% | 33.9% | 8.4% | 1952 | $1,136 | 28.5% | 91.4% | 7.0% |
| University Village | 2.13 | 30.3 | 7.0% | 67.8% | 6.5% | 1986 | $1,676 | 67.1% | 94.1% | 7.5% |
| Douglas | 1.74 | 35.9 | 10.2% | 86.5% | 7.1% | 1964 | $1,143 | 41.6% | 92.0% | 16.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Nottingham, Katy, TX · South Harrison, Tucson, AZ · Sayre Park, Bethlehem, PA · Roselawn, Cincinnati, OH · Rosebank, Staten Island, NY · Pullman, Chicago, IL · Pueblo, Wichita, KS · Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, PA · Overlook, Summit, NJ · Osgood, Fargo, ND
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 Locks. 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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