Population 1,043 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mechanicsburg
Household size in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Mechanicsburg are small: just 2.38 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 has dropped from 2.59 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Mechanicsburg skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Mechanicsburg (10.5%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Illinois.
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 Mechanicsburg
Renters in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Mechanicsburg is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 40.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as 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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Mechanicsburg: just 5.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Mechanicsburg are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $785 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $668 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $807 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $848 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$63 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Mechanicsburg runs $848 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 37.5% of household income on rent, 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 Mechanicsburg
Bachelor's degrees in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Mechanicsburg (25.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Mechanicsburg: 97.6% 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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mechanicsburg is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (6.0%). 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).
Mechanicsburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanicsburg | 2.38 | 47.1 | 10.5% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 1977 | $848 | 25.8% | 97.6% | 5.0% |
| Roby | 2.31 | 44.4 | 5.9% | 10.3% | 7.9% | 1977 | $1,103 | 35.1% | 97.6% | 7.6% |
| Dawson | 2.43 | 49.9 | 9.5% | 11.1% | 5.2% | 1982 | $769 | 27.2% | 95.8% | 2.4% |
| Buffalo | 2.42 | 49.8 | 12.4% | 12.3% | 4.4% | 1980 | $622 | 21.9% | 95.2% | 3.2% |
| Lanesville | 2.47 | 45.8 | 8.0% | 9.7% | 4.1% | 1976 | $932 | 27.4% | 97.8% | 3.4% |
| Mount Auburn | 2.39 | 47.0 | 6.1% | 8.8% | 16.9% | 1950 | $1,086 | 22.2% | 96.0% | 8.7% |
| Rochester | 2.64 | 45.7 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 1987 | $1,327 | 46.9% | 98.8% | 2.1% |
| Clear Lake | 2.67 | 34.7 | 25.2% | 31.4% | 7.5% | 1983 | $988 | 23.4% | 95.2% | 5.5% |
| Grove City | 1.82 | 52.7 | 4.8% | 12.0% | 10.9% | 1974 | $908 | 16.4% | 97.6% | 12.6% |
| Edinburg | 2.39 | 42.0 | 9.3% | 20.9% | 7.1% | 1961 | $845 | 14.0% | 94.0% | 5.7% |
| Riverton | 2.31 | 45.3 | 2.4% | 29.0% | 14.3% | 1975 | $1,026 | 20.3% | 94.0% | 0.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lake Arthur, NM · Stratford, IA · Stokes, MS · Stella, MO · St. Francis, SD · Sherwood Shores, TX · Seymour, IA · Scotrun, PA · Lumberport, WV · Losantville, 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 Mechanicsburg. 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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