Population 374 · 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 Orion: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Orion
Household size in Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.30 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.13 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Orion are small: just 2.29 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 2.41 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 38.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.4 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.4, Orion is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 8.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 8.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Orion than nationally: 9.6%, against 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are more common here than in the Madison area as a whole (8.2%).
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 Orion
Renters in Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 35.1% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.8% | 38.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 38.9% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 39.7% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Orion is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 47.3% have no mortgage at all, 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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 6.3% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 5.7% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −3.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Orion: 15.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1978 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1979 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Orion are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Madison area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1983.
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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $589 | $868 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $950 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $643 | $1,072 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $829 | $1,366 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$239 | +$498 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in Orion runs $829 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 29.4% 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 Orion
Bachelor's degrees in Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 41.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 43.6% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 46.9% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 50.6% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Orion: 15.3% 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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.5% | 93.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 94.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.6% | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 95.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +1.3 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Orion have finished high school (92.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Locally, though, the rate is lower than in the wider Madison area (95.1%).
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 Orion
| Period | Orion | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Orion runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Locally, though, the rate is higher than in the wider Madison area (2.6%). 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).
Orion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion | 2.29 | 46.4 | 9.6% | 19.0% | 15.6% | 1978 | $829 | 15.3% | 92.2% | 4.1% |
| Muscoda | 2.38 | 42.1 | 8.1% | 19.7% | 14.1% | 1979 | $814 | 16.6% | 92.0% | 4.0% |
| Byrds Creek | 2.54 | 41.7 | 7.8% | 16.4% | 14.2% | 1983 | $976 | 25.2% | 93.2% | 7.1% |
| Avoca | 2.35 | 48.1 | 9.7% | 17.7% | 24.3% | 1981 | $767 | 16.1% | 89.4% | 2.6% |
| Gotham | 2.25 | 49.6 | 8.8% | 14.3% | 16.3% | 1979 | $973 | 13.6% | 93.5% | 2.8% |
| Blue River | 2.32 | 42.4 | 6.3% | 15.5% | 12.2% | 1979 | $901 | 19.2% | 92.8% | 2.8% |
| Sextonville | 2.57 | 48.6 | 6.9% | 12.1% | 16.0% | 1976 | $1,017 | 24.1% | 92.9% | 3.9% |
| Highland | 2.53 | 42.7 | 6.7% | 16.8% | 13.9% | 1970 | $742 | 18.8% | 95.4% | 3.6% |
| Lone Rock | 2.33 | 45.2 | 8.2% | 17.2% | 12.1% | 1978 | $933 | 14.8% | 93.6% | 2.5% |
| Boaz | 2.15 | 51.3 | 6.2% | 23.4% | 21.5% | 1971 | $1,205 | 17.9% | 90.6% | 1.9% |
| Richland Center | 2.20 | 46.7 | 8.0% | 37.9% | 12.1% | 1965 | $818 | 21.0% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shirley, WI · Santeetlah, NC · Seven Devils, NC · Shade Gap, PA · Shady Grove, AR · Shanghai Corners, MI · Shanksville, PA · Sherman City, MI · Sherwood Shores, KY · Sands, 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 Orion. 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.