Population 9,520 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Merrydale
Household size in Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.99 | 2.69 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.93 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.14 | 2.73 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.72 | 2.63 | 2.59 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | −0.06 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Merrydale average 2.72 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Baton Rouge area overall, where it has 2.63 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.99, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 35.3 | 36.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.4 | 36.2 | 37.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.2 | 36.8 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 37.1 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +1.8 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Merrydale is 36.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The picture is much the same across the Baton Rouge area. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.1, in line with the national trend.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 14.1% | 14.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.9% | 14.8% | 15.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 31.7% | 13.9% | 14.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 14.0% | 15.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −0.0 pts | +0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in five households in Merrydale (22.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 12 of the 151 Louisiana cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Merrydale
Renters in Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.5% | 30.5% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.7% | 31.4% | 33.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.9% | 31.0% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 30.9% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | +0.4 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Merrydale rent their homes (27.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 36.3% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has fallen 6.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 10.9% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 11.2% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 15.6% | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 14.1% | 14.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +3.2 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Merrydale than nationally: 12.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Still, the rate is lower than in the Baton Rouge area as a whole (14.1%).
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1982 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1984 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1986 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1990 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Housing in Merrydale leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $710 | $775 | $755 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $936 | $890 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $835 | $1,001 | $920 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,309 | $1,207 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$599 | +$432 | +$366 | +$606 |
Rent in Merrydale runs $1,309 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are higher than in the Baton Rouge area as a whole ($1,207). Rents are up $599 a month from 2006–10, an 84% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under 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 Merrydale
Bachelor's degrees in Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 26.3% | 22.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 27.9% | 22.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 28.6% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 31.5% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +5.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Merrydale have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.3 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.0% | 85.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.0% | 86.9% | 83.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 87.7% | 85.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 88.9% | 87.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +3.8 pts | +5.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Merrydale is close to the national rate: 87.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 9.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Merrydale
| Period | Merrydale | Baton Rouge area | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +0.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Merrydale: 18.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. No other Louisiana city with 5,000+ people has higher unemployment. Unemployment has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Merrydale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrydale | 2.72 | 36.6 | 22.6% | 27.0% | 12.5% | 1975 | $1,309 | 16.1% | 87.8% | 18.9% |
| Baton Rouge area | 2.63 | 37.1 | 14.0% | 30.9% | 14.1% | 1990 | $1,207 | 31.5% | 88.9% | 6.8% |
| Central | 2.52 | 43.5 | 11.0% | 14.8% | 9.7% | 1991 | $1,275 | 32.6% | 95.5% | 2.6% |
| Baker | 2.85 | 37.2 | 24.7% | 24.5% | 14.0% | 1985 | $1,201 | 23.4% | 90.0% | 13.7% |
| Sunrise | 2.04 | 41.7 | 3.7% | 25.8% | 13.5% | 1990 | $850 | 4.8% | 70.0% | 2.2% |
| Greenwell Springs | 3.12 | 37.8 | 14.6% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 1988 | $1,338 | 34.3% | 96.4% | 1.8% |
| Port Allen | 2.34 | 39.9 | 7.6% | 29.3% | 11.6% | 1982 | $865 | 17.9% | 87.9% | 6.1% |
| Shenandoah | 2.60 | 36.9 | 14.8% | 39.2% | 8.8% | 1991 | $1,252 | 43.1% | 94.4% | 6.5% |
| Westover | 2.28 | 41.3 | 2.8% | 12.6% | 15.8% | 1997 | $917 | 30.1% | 94.4% | 2.4% |
| Pride | 2.70 | 46.8 | 13.7% | 3.3% | 10.3% | 1991 | $1,183 | 30.9% | 95.4% | 3.3% |
| Zachary | 2.61 | 40.4 | 10.6% | 20.6% | 6.6% | 1998 | $1,568 | 37.1% | 94.4% | 6.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Prestonsburg, KY · Oak Hill, WV · Oak Hills, CA · Oak Ridge, NJ · Otsego, MI · Pleasant Grove, AL · Pleasant Hills, PA · Pleasant Valley, NY · Poplarville, MS · Portland, CT
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 Merrydale. 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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