Population 6,640 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lower Beaver
Household size in Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.18 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Lower Beaver is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.18 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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.2 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.4 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.1 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Lower Beaver is 36.4 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The picture is much the same across the Des Moines area. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 39.6, even as the national median rose.
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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.0% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +11.7 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Lower Beaver: 18.0% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 11.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Lower Beaver
Renters in Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Lower Beaver own their homes; 26.3% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (43.4%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 6.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Lower Beaver than nationally: 7.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area. Vacancy has risen 2.4 points since 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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Lower Beaver 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 newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $875 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $879 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $849 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,460 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$585 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Lower Beaver runs $1,460 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole ($1,210). Rents are up $585 a month from 2006–10, a 67% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Lower Beaver has the highest rents of any Des Moines neighborhood.
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 Lower Beaver
Bachelor's degrees in Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.1% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.8% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Lower Beaver as nationally: 34.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Des Moines area as a whole (40.3%). The share with a degree is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.8% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.3% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.8% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.0% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −7.8 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Lower Beaver never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is down 7.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Lower Beaver
| Period | Lower Beaver | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Lower Beaver has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only one other Des Moines neighborhood has lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 3.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Lower Beaver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Beaver | 2.37 | 36.4 | 18.0% | 26.3% | 7.5% | 1962 | $1,460 | 34.0% | 87.0% | 2.2% |
| Meredith | 2.57 | 36.0 | 10.7% | 44.9% | 11.5% | 1973 | $1,185 | 31.7% | 88.4% | 3.3% |
| Beaverdale | 1.99 | 42.0 | 6.5% | 24.1% | 7.7% | 1944 | $1,253 | 48.7% | 95.1% | 6.4% |
| Oak Park | 2.24 | 39.9 | 24.5% | 20.5% | 9.4% | 1943 | $1,207 | 24.1% | 85.7% | 1.6% |
| Merle Hay | 2.08 | 40.8 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 6.0% | 1955 | $1,228 | 35.3% | 93.7% | 4.4% |
| Drake | 2.21 | 28.2 | 10.4% | 55.9% | 9.2% | 1944 | $1,140 | 38.4% | 87.5% | 7.0% |
| River Bend | 2.73 | 35.7 | 22.1% | 49.2% | 17.9% | 1944 | $934 | 9.9% | 69.0% | 4.5% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
| Union Park | 2.77 | 33.9 | 16.5% | 20.2% | 7.1% | 1946 | $1,320 | 15.9% | 80.2% | 5.6% |
| Capitol Park | 3.14 | 36.6 | 26.8% | 39.3% | 11.2% | 1945 | $1,084 | 15.1% | 80.5% | 8.6% |
| Downtown Des Moines | 1.34 | 28.0 | 7.7% | 90.5% | 12.6% | 1985 | $1,283 | 67.0% | 94.4% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Barrington Park, Taylorsville, UT · Woodstone, San Antonio, TX · Woodlake, San Antonio, TX · Waterfront, Santa Barbara, CA · Vineyards, Naples, FL · Valencia, Newhall, CA · South Hampton, St. Louis, MO · Fairpark, Salt Lake City, UT · El Camino, South San Francisco, CA · Downtown Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
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 Lower Beaver. 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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