Population 5,494 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Merry Oaks
Household size in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.19 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.20 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Merry Oaks is a place of small households, averaging 2.20 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.39 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the northwest.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.5 | 36.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 37.3 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.4 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 38.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +1.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Merry Oaks skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.6, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 37.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 11.7% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 11.6% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Merry Oaks, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Merry Oaks
Renters in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.0% | 31.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 34.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 34.2% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +3.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Merry Oaks rent their homes (30.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over four in ten owners (42.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the west. The renter share is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 8.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Merry Oaks as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1984 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1957 | 1985 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1988 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1992 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +9 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Merry Oaks is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center. Merry Oaks has older homes than at least four in five Nashville neighborhoods.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $797 | $905 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $990 | $986 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,086 | $1,212 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,570 | $1,653 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$773 | +$749 | +$526 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Merry Oaks costs $1,570 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Nashville area as a whole ($1,653). Rent has climbed $773 a month since 2006–10, up 97%, faster than rents rose nationally. 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 Merry Oaks
Bachelor's degrees in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 30.1% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 32.0% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.4% | 36.3% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 41.0% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +10.9 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Merry Oaks (35.3%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Nashville area as a whole (41.0%). The share with a degree has risen 9.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 86.5% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.7% | 88.0% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 90.0% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.0% | 91.7% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Merry Oaks never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is down 7.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Merry Oaks has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Nashville neighborhoods.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Merry Oaks: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Merry Oaks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merry Oaks | 2.20 | 42.6 | 6.7% | 30.6% | 9.3% | 1960 | $1,570 | 35.3% | 83.0% | 7.4% |
| Donelson | 1.94 | 39.9 | 7.9% | 40.0% | 10.3% | 1980 | $1,624 | 45.4% | 93.4% | 2.0% |
| Rosebank | 2.00 | 41.8 | 4.0% | 14.9% | 7.3% | 1959 | $2,186 | 59.2% | 97.5% | 2.2% |
| Lockeland Springs | 2.28 | 39.4 | 7.6% | 22.7% | 8.0% | 1945 | $2,112 | 77.5% | 99.3% | 2.8% |
| CCSI-South Inglewood | 2.06 | 32.3 | 11.9% | 35.8% | 10.3% | 1998 | $1,802 | 70.6% | 97.7% | 4.4% |
| Inglewood-Riverwood | 2.14 | 36.8 | 5.2% | 20.5% | 4.2% | 1953 | $1,755 | 66.1% | 96.9% | 2.5% |
| Glencliff | 2.32 | 34.1 | 17.7% | 63.5% | 11.1% | 1971 | $1,509 | 33.7% | 80.4% | 4.5% |
| Woodbine | 1.90 | 33.7 | 8.3% | 70.4% | 5.6% | 1966 | $1,054 | 26.9% | 77.4% | 2.8% |
| Historic Edgefield | 2.20 | 33.2 | 26.0% | 80.2% | 7.3% | 1989 | $1,259 | 47.2% | 87.6% | 9.7% |
| Southside | 2.39 | 30.1 | 37.3% | 77.6% | 16.6% | 1977 | $624 | 31.2% | 77.6% | 22.8% |
| McFerrin Park | 2.31 | 28.6 | 14.2% | 71.1% | 12.1% | 1987 | $1,540 | 49.6% | 87.4% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Woodridge Lakes, Mesa, AZ · Tobin Hill, San Antonio, TX · Torringford, Torrington, CT · Tosa East Towne, Wauwatosa, WI · University, Buffalo, NY · Urbanizacion Levittown Lakes, Toa Baja, PR · Utah Park, Aurora, CO · Arbor Heights, Seattle, WA · Euclid Ave South, Helena, MT · Vine, Kalamazoo, MI
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 Merry Oaks. 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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