Population 1,429 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Paw Paw
Household size in Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Paw Paw run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.72 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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.8 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.1 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Paw Paw skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.1, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Paw Paw: 5.7% 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 Paw Paw
Renters in Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.7% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.0% of households in Paw Paw rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 40.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Paw Paw: 15.3% 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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1956 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Paw Paw is a place of older homes: half were built before 1956, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $650 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $797 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $739 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $974 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$324 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Paw Paw costs $974 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 20.0% 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 Paw Paw
Bachelor's degrees in Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Paw Paw have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.9% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.6% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.9% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.2% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Paw Paw is above the national rate: 94.2% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%.
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 Paw Paw
| Period | Paw Paw | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Paw Paw: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Paw Paw 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paw Paw | 2.56 | 42.1 | 5.7% | 22.0% | 15.3% | 1956 | $974 | 13.8% | 94.2% | 7.3% |
| Compton | 2.81 | 38.7 | 12.3% | 20.0% | 16.7% | 1940 | $1,207 | 14.8% | 93.0% | 7.5% |
| Rollo | 2.68 | 34.4 | 9.1% | 20.3% | 3.2% | 1960 | $1,181 | 26.6% | 95.4% | 3.7% |
| Shabbona Grove | 2.20 | 46.3 | 9.2% | 36.4% | 7.8% | 1972 | $906 | 18.8% | 90.2% | 4.5% |
| The Burg | 2.54 | 36.0 | 10.1% | 29.0% | 13.0% | 1948 | $1,317 | 15.3% | 90.8% | 4.5% |
| Lee | 3.06 | 39.6 | 6.6% | 17.5% | 7.4% | 1954 | $1,099 | 29.9% | 94.6% | 3.0% |
| Earlville | 2.35 | 39.6 | 11.3% | 32.2% | 5.5% | 1967 | $997 | 14.1% | 89.9% | 4.9% |
| Shabbona | 2.61 | 36.5 | 4.4% | 27.4% | 10.8% | 1956 | $861 | 27.6% | 91.0% | 4.5% |
| West Brooklyn | 2.54 | 37.4 | 8.7% | 22.6% | 7.5% | 1948 | $1,445 | 15.8% | 89.2% | 1.3% |
| Meriden | 2.45 | 49.8 | 10.8% | 28.3% | 10.0% | 1953 | $865 | 14.2% | 78.9% | 3.5% |
| Steward | 3.07 | 42.7 | 6.2% | 10.4% | 5.0% | 1951 | $1,153 | 30.8% | 96.1% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wurtland, KY · Atlantic Beach, NC · Aurora, TX · Bailey, MS · Bainbridge, IN · Whittaker, MI · Bass Lake, IN · New Baltimore, OH · Powells Crossroads, TN · New Bohemia, VA
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 Paw Paw. 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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