Population 161 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in McDowell
Household size in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in McDowell average 2.63 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65).
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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.7 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.0 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in McDowell are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 45.7, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 0.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +11.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in five households in McDowell (19.9%), well above 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 McDowell
Renters in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −11.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
McDowell is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 7.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 53.6% 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.7% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +13.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in McDowell: 13.7% of homes are empty, 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1947 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in McDowell is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Illinois.
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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $611 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $578 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $704 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $750 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$139 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in McDowell runs $750 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 McDowell
Bachelor's degrees in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in McDowell: 21.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.5% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in McDowell: 99.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.0% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in McDowell out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. 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).
McDowell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell | 2.63 | 39.8 | 19.9% | 7.6% | 13.7% | 1969 | $750 | 21.4% | 99.5% | 0.0% |
| Pontiac | 2.22 | 43.0 | 13.6% | 33.4% | 10.5% | 1964 | $865 | 17.1% | 85.0% | 3.6% |
| Swygert | 2.85 | 31.8 | 15.6% | 15.7% | 5.7% | 1949 | $887 | 18.0% | 96.4% | 1.0% |
| Ocoya | 2.63 | 36.8 | 1.4% | 23.0% | 3.2% | 1956 | $741 | 49.1% | 97.2% | 8.2% |
| Fairbury | 2.47 | 36.6 | 18.5% | 28.4% | 6.9% | 1961 | $808 | 27.6% | 92.6% | 0.8% |
| Weston | 2.46 | 42.6 | 8.4% | 21.7% | 18.6% | 1950 | $982 | 31.3% | 98.3% | 1.1% |
| Rugby | 2.81 | 32.2 | 12.3% | 13.2% | 4.7% | 1946 | $1,025 | 17.8% | 96.6% | 2.3% |
| Wing | 2.52 | 38.7 | 6.2% | 9.7% | 5.9% | 1953 | $1,131 | 19.9% | 97.8% | 4.2% |
| Chenoa | 2.53 | 40.1 | 8.6% | 18.4% | 10.8% | 1957 | $1,116 | 28.7% | 94.5% | 3.7% |
| Graymont | 2.48 | 39.5 | 4.2% | 20.1% | 6.0% | 1950 | $808 | 39.6% | 95.3% | 5.2% |
| Rowe | 2.55 | 38.1 | 13.9% | 14.4% | 7.0% | 1969 | $892 | 21.9% | 88.7% | 7.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Allendale, MO · Allendale, NY · Alvadore, OR · Ambler, AK · Angola on the Lake, NY · Pocopson, PA · Poplar Hill, TN · Pleasanton, IA · Pleasant Lake, MN · Pleasant Grove, AR
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 McDowell. 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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