Population 1,424 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of McDowell: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in McDowell
Household size in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.38 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in McDowell are small: just 2.26 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.64, 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.3, the median age in McDowell 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.6% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in McDowell: 20.6% of all households, against 11.6% 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 McDowell
Renters in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.9% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.9% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in McDowell own their homes; 29.6% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Kentucky as a whole looks much the same. About eight in ten owners (79.9%) 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 McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.5% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.1% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in McDowell: 19.1% 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 | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in McDowell was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $524 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $527 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $620 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $553 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$30 | +$367 | +$606 |
The median renter in McDowell pays $553 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.6% 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 McDowell
Bachelor's degrees in McDowell
| Period | McDowell | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in McDowell: 15.7% 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 | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.5% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 70.8% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.1% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.2% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in McDowell never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.0% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +12.7 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in McDowell runs well above the national rate: 20.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, 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).
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 | 2.26 | 41.3 | 20.6% | 29.6% | 19.1% | 1983 | $553 | 15.7% | 77.2% | 20.3% |
| Drift | 2.15 | 40.7 | 25.6% | 41.1% | 27.1% | 1979 | $410 | 20.2% | 83.3% | 28.1% |
| Hi Hat | 2.56 | 41.5 | 15.1% | 21.2% | 12.6% | 1988 | $670 | 8.7% | 72.9% | 11.1% |
| Grethel | 2.29 | 34.6 | 14.4% | 14.2% | 5.7% | 1991 | $827 | 12.7% | 62.1% | 11.7% |
| Beaver | 2.84 | 39.2 | 17.4% | 16.9% | 10.5% | 1988 | $727 | 7.6% | 70.9% | 18.2% |
| Printer | 2.48 | 39.5 | 4.6% | 48.8% | 13.4% | 1978 | $370 | 6.4% | 85.7% | 0.0% |
| Wayland | 2.84 | 32.8 | 16.8% | 37.1% | 34.7% | 1974 | $796 | 10.3% | 83.5% | 5.6% |
| Dema | 2.63 | 44.5 | 16.6% | 19.4% | 13.7% | 1983 | $687 | 12.8% | 71.8% | 10.7% |
| Teaberry | 2.45 | 36.0 | 6.9% | 22.5% | 3.4% | 1989 | $714 | 9.8% | 57.8% | 7.4% |
| Galveston | 2.30 | 31.8 | 10.4% | 27.2% | 4.4% | 1986 | $965 | 16.5% | 61.5% | 0.0% |
| Eastern | 2.60 | 39.7 | 5.1% | 16.4% | 28.2% | 1986 | $657 | 30.6% | 94.5% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Alexandria Bay, NY · South Coatesville, PA · Sheldon, WI · Milltown, WI · Milford, IL · Milan, NH · Meltonville, MS · Mauk, GA · Maple Bluff, WI · Manquin, VA
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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.