Population 5,796 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Penrose
Household size in Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.16 | 2.18 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.15 | 2.34 | 2.82 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.12 | 2.25 | 2.86 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.96 | 2.22 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | +0.04 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Penrose is a place of small households, averaging 1.96 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 2.16 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated 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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.6 | 35.4 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 35.6 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.3 | 36.2 | 38.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.2 | 37.3 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.8 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Penrose is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 34.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the west.
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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 6.7% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 6.2% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 5.9% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 5.4% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Penrose: 5.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Arlington as a whole looks much the same.
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 Penrose
Renters in Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.5% | 53.1% | 34.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 72.6% | 55.2% | 36.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 79.6% | 57.3% | 36.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.4% | 58.8% | 36.3% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Penrose: 70.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. More than one in five owners (22.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the west. The renter share has edged up 0.9 points since 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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 10.8% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 11.5% | 7.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 8.7% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Penrose as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is up 2.7 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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1967 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1968 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1970 | 1979 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1973 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Penrose is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the west 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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,344 | $1,605 | $1,470 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,552 | $1,748 | $1,583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,779 | $2,202 | $1,907 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,953 | $2,521 | $2,236 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$610 | +$916 | +$766 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Penrose pays $1,953 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Arlington as a whole ($2,521). Rents are up $610 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 24.5% 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 Penrose
Bachelor's degrees in Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.5% | 70.2% | 46.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 69.6% | 72.4% | 48.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 70.1% | 75.5% | 51.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 62.6% | 76.5% | 53.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +6.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Penrose is highly educated: just over six in ten adults 25 and older (62.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in Arlington as a whole (76.5%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.1 points, 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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.5% | 92.5% | 89.4% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.1% | 93.8% | 90.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.5% | 94.4% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.7% | 94.9% | 91.2% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Penrose is close to the national rate: 89.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Arlington overall (94.9%). The share with a diploma is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Penrose
| Period | Penrose | Arlington | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 3.8% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 2.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +0.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Penrose: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Only one other Arlington neighborhood has higher unemployment. Unemployment has edged up 1.2 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).
Penrose 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penrose | 1.96 | 36.2 | 5.1% | 70.4% | 8.4% | 1971 | $1,953 | 62.6% | 89.7% | 6.3% |
| Columbia Heghts | 1.87 | 35.9 | 6.7% | 76.9% | 4.0% | 1968 | $1,983 | 70.1% | 95.1% | 6.1% |
| Lyon Park | 2.32 | 34.2 | 3.8% | 58.9% | 10.7% | 1961 | $2,215 | 80.9% | 97.5% | 1.7% |
| Douglas Park | 2.49 | 33.7 | 5.8% | 71.6% | 3.1% | 1971 | $1,983 | 53.0% | 86.9% | 5.3% |
| Nauck | 2.16 | 34.8 | 8.7% | 49.5% | 14.8% | 1978 | $2,264 | 66.7% | 98.8% | 2.9% |
| Arlington Ridge | 2.12 | 37.6 | 1.2% | 64.1% | 11.5% | 1961 | $2,761 | 87.3% | 99.4% | 2.4% |
| Ashton Heights | 2.11 | 35.9 | 8.9% | 71.1% | 12.8% | 1966 | $2,690 | 76.2% | 97.9% | 5.2% |
| Clarendon | 1.72 | 33.0 | 3.6% | 77.4% | 7.4% | 1995 | $2,653 | 90.4% | 97.9% | 2.5% |
| Barcroft | 2.68 | 32.6 | 13.7% | 54.6% | 4.0% | 1967 | $2,087 | 59.9% | 74.2% | 1.4% |
| Buckingham | 2.02 | 37.0 | 6.6% | 70.4% | 7.2% | 1976 | $1,963 | 63.9% | 85.9% | 7.0% |
| Long Branch Creek | 2.15 | 30.6 | 6.9% | 76.1% | 5.8% | 1992 | $2,463 | 65.5% | 93.9% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Bashford Manor, Louisville, KY · Bayside, Everett, WA · Linden Heights, Dayton, OH · Southwest Village, Wichita, KS · South Westside, Olympia, WA · Sobrante Park, Oakland, CA · Sehome, Bellingham, WA · Rose Village, Vancouver, WA · Rolling Mill Hill, Wilkes-Barre, PA · Prairie-Piper-KC-KS, Kansas City, KS
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 Penrose. 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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