Population 4,612 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lucas
Household size in Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.17 | 2.25 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.25 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.11 | 2.26 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.32 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | +0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lucas are small: just 2.14 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6 | 31.7 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.3 | 31.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.8 | 32.6 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 32.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.4 | +0.6 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Lucas skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 6.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 7.8% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 6.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Lucas: 6.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Iowa City as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Lucas
Renters in Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.5% | 47.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 48.2% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 49.2% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 49.1% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Lucas rent their homes (29.2%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over half of owners (52.1%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 7.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.7% | 5.0% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 8.5% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 9.5% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Lucas than nationally: 7.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1976 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1981 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1984 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +8 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Lucas is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Iowa City.
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $584 | $771 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $851 | $882 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $942 | $980 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,321 | $1,206 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$737 | +$434 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lucas costs $1,321 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Iowa City overall ($1,206). Rent takes 42.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Lucas
Bachelor's degrees in Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.8% | 56.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 49.7% | 55.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.6% | 55.8% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.1% | 58.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +2.5 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Lucas is highly educated: nearly half of adults 25 and older (48.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in Iowa City overall (58.7%).
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.6% | 95.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.7% | 94.4% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.3% | 94.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 95.3% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +0.3 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Lucas: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa City.
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 Lucas
| Period | Lucas | Iowa City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +0.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Lucas than nationally: unemployment was 6.9%, against 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).
Lucas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas | 2.14 | 42.2 | 6.7% | 29.2% | 7.5% | 1987 | $1,321 | 48.1% | 95.5% | 6.9% |
| Longfellow | 2.12 | 28.6 | 5.3% | 65.0% | 12.9% | 1983 | $1,189 | 60.5% | 96.3% | 3.8% |
| Twain | 2.66 | 33.0 | 7.0% | 38.9% | 11.2% | 1988 | $1,114 | 39.2% | 93.0% | 7.7% |
| Mann | 2.03 | 24.7 | 5.6% | 68.5% | 9.0% | 1987 | $1,325 | 69.9% | 95.5% | 6.6% |
| Roosevelt | 2.09 | 26.9 | 4.7% | 53.2% | 11.8% | 1977 | $1,167 | 72.8% | 95.2% | 5.2% |
| Weber | 2.68 | 37.1 | 6.8% | 28.1% | 8.0% | 1999 | $1,368 | 63.6% | 93.6% | 1.6% |
| Kirkwood | 1.96 | 34.3 | 8.4% | 67.9% | 10.0% | 1992 | $1,164 | 49.9% | 94.4% | 2.8% |
| Wickham | 2.79 | 37.7 | 4.9% | 19.7% | 3.2% | 2001 | $1,162 | 72.6% | 98.5% | 1.0% |
| Penn | 2.78 | 34.5 | 8.4% | 27.4% | 7.3% | 2001 | $1,216 | 55.2% | 99.0% | 3.3% |
| Southwest Area | 3.21 | 35.9 | 8.8% | 32.7% | 12.0% | 1961 | $1,056 | 12.1% | 95.2% | 2.9% |
| Taylor | 2.28 | 35.8 | 22.8% | 41.7% | 10.5% | 1958 | $1,191 | 16.8% | 91.6% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Friends of Ridgecrest, Largo, FL · Washington Park, Milwaukee, WI · Gresham-Northeast, Gresham, OR · Greek Track, Simi Valley, CA · Gravois Park, St. Louis, MO · Grasslyn Manor, Milwaukee, WI · Goose Creek, Baytown, TX · Geneva, Orem, UT · Genesee-Jefferson, Rochester, NY · Geist, Indianapolis, IN
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 Lucas. 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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