Population 675 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Merriam
Household size in Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Merriam are small: just 2.37 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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.9 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.4, Merriam is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 44.1, 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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Merriam: 5.2% of 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 Merriam
Renters in Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Merriam is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (54.4%) 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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Merriam as nationally: 10.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Illinois as a whole (8.1%).
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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Merriam are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S.
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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $483 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $514 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $868 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $810 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$327 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Merriam costs $810 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 20.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Merriam
Bachelor's degrees in Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Merriam: 17.8% 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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.2% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Merriam never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.5% 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 Merriam
| Period | Merriam | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Merriam runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Merriam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam | 2.37 | 46.4 | 5.2% | 13.5% | 10.1% | 1984 | $810 | 17.8% | 82.5% | 8.5% |
| Toms Prairie | 2.37 | 47.7 | 6.3% | 1.4% | 17.7% | 1979 | $802 | 11.1% | 93.3% | 4.7% |
| Golden Gate | 2.28 | 37.7 | 7.8% | 20.5% | 13.5% | 1986 | $802 | 16.6% | 67.8% | 7.1% |
| Fairfield | 2.07 | 44.9 | 8.9% | 26.6% | 9.9% | 1968 | $600 | 15.0% | 91.7% | 3.4% |
| Barnhill | 2.41 | 52.7 | 3.5% | 12.2% | 5.7% | 1987 | $758 | 18.0% | 93.2% | 9.1% |
| Jeffersonville | 2.28 | 50.1 | 4.7% | 9.5% | 10.1% | 1979 | $841 | 17.6% | 93.4% | 3.4% |
| Ellery | 2.18 | 42.4 | 7.0% | 17.9% | 12.9% | 1980 | $900 | 18.2% | 85.0% | 4.5% |
| Mill Shoals | 2.16 | 49.3 | 6.5% | 12.4% | 7.5% | 1967 | $785 | 17.8% | 92.0% | 3.9% |
| Burnt Prairie | 2.25 | 45.7 | 7.3% | 13.7% | 10.0% | 1970 | $729 | 20.2% | 87.2% | 3.0% |
| Geff | 2.29 | 50.0 | 4.4% | 11.1% | 8.5% | 1980 | $840 | 19.3% | 93.2% | 3.1% |
| Black | 2.54 | 40.6 | 7.2% | 12.0% | 9.1% | 1971 | $601 | 13.4% | 91.1% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Indianford, WI · Isleboro, FL · Irwin, IA · Irvine, PA · Iron Gate, VA · Iron City, OH · Ingleside on the Bay, TX · Industry, IL · Industry, CA · Ivydale, WV
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 Merriam. 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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