Population 15,031 · 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 Mercury Central: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Mercury Central
Household size in Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.60 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.04 | 2.54 | 2.66 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.46 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.51 | 2.43 | 2.54 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | −0.17 | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Mercury Central has 2.51 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.34, even as the national average fell. Among Hampton's ten neighborhoods, though, only two have larger households.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 36.2 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.6 | 37.2 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.6 | 38.4 | 38.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.6 | 38.1 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.5 | +1.9 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Mercury Central is young: half of its residents are under 31.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 34.1, even as the national median rose. No other Hampton neighborhood is younger.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 14.1% | 13.7% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 15.0% | 13.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 14.7% | 12.9% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 14.9% | 12.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +0.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Mercury Central as they are nationally: 10.9%, against 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in Hampton overall (14.9%). Mercury Central has the lowest share of single-parent households of any Hampton neighborhood.
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 Mercury Central
Renters in Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 65.7% | 41.3% | 35.1% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 67.3% | 42.2% | 37.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 78.2% | 45.2% | 38.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 75.4% | 43.8% | 36.6% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +2.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Mercury Central: 75.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Nearly four in ten owners (38.2%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 9.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Mercury Central has the highest share of renters of any Hampton neighborhood.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 11.5% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 13.2% | 9.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.0% | 9.5% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 8.2% | 7.6% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Mercury Central is close to the national rate: 10.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Hampton as a whole (8.2%). Vacancy is down 7.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1970 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1972 | 1979 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1974 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Mercury Central are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the northeast. No other Hampton neighborhood has newer homes.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,023 | $1,012 | $1,107 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,005 | $1,088 | $1,232 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,242 | $1,165 | $1,358 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,587 | $1,523 | $1,647 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$564 | +$510 | +$540 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Mercury Central costs $1,587 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $564 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Only one other Hampton neighborhood has higher rents.
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 Mercury Central
Bachelor's degrees in Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 22.2% | 27.5% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.8% | 23.2% | 28.9% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.5% | 27.1% | 32.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 28.5% | 35.4% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +6.3 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Mercury Central have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Hampton neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 89.2% | 88.9% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.7% | 89.2% | 90.0% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 91.5% | 91.5% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.8% | 92.7% | 92.8% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | +3.6 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Mercury Central never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has fallen 5.2 points, even as the national rate rose. Mercury Central has the lowest share of high school graduates of any Hampton neighborhood.
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 Mercury Central
| Period | Mercury Central | Hampton | Virginia Beach area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 8.2% | 6.5% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.4% | 8.2% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 6.0% | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Mercury Central than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has 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).
Mercury Central 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury Central | 2.51 | 31.6 | 10.9% | 75.4% | 10.3% | 1985 | $1,587 | 24.8% | 85.8% | 6.3% |
| Aberdeen | 2.18 | 43.0 | 21.0% | 45.0% | 10.8% | 1969 | $1,441 | 26.0% | 90.7% | 3.2% |
| Magruder | 2.55 | 33.6 | 13.4% | 43.4% | 5.4% | 1985 | $1,546 | 28.8% | 95.4% | 6.2% |
| Downtown Hampton | 2.41 | 36.1 | 15.5% | 51.2% | 7.0% | 1964 | $1,462 | 22.7% | 94.0% | 7.7% |
| Northampton | 2.30 | 40.0 | 15.9% | 32.5% | 5.3% | 1978 | $1,525 | 28.8% | 92.8% | 6.6% |
| North King St | 2.39 | 41.0 | 11.3% | 38.0% | 6.8% | 1969 | $1,260 | 30.8% | 94.2% | 5.8% |
| Greater Wythe | 2.31 | 42.8 | 13.6% | 30.2% | 10.1% | 1954 | $1,425 | 26.9% | 93.5% | 5.1% |
| Newmarket South | 2.39 | 38.7 | 14.2% | 53.7% | 4.3% | 1968 | $945 | 14.7% | 92.5% | 0.0% |
| Phoebus | 2.28 | 38.5 | 16.1% | 52.0% | 14.4% | 1976 | $1,366 | 27.1% | 89.3% | 10.5% |
| Briarfield | 2.05 | 36.8 | 16.5% | 70.8% | 12.0% | 1973 | $1,180 | 16.3% | 87.2% | 10.6% |
| Buckroe | 2.38 | 39.8 | 20.4% | 39.2% | 8.1% | 1975 | $1,554 | 27.3% | 94.5% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Winter Hill, Somerville, MA · Crescenta Highlands, La Crescenta, CA · Columbus Park, Worcester, MA · East Forest, Charlotte, NC · Central, Fresno, CA · East Side-Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT · Castro-Upper Market, San Francisco, CA · Brooklawn-St. Vincent, Bridgeport, CT · Bridle Trails, Bellevue, WA · Bradford, Haverhill, MA
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 Mercury Central. 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.