Population 290 · 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.
More maps of Phelps: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Phelps
Household size in Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Phelps is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 56.5 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Phelps skews older: half of its residents are older than 56.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 49.4, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.3% of households in Phelps, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Phelps
Renters in Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 4.8% of households in Phelps rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 50.6% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.8% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 36.2% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.1% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 42.1% of the housing in Phelps, 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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Phelps was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $801 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $833 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $784 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $629 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$172 | +$522 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Phelps costs $629 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.4% 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 Phelps
Bachelor's degrees in Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.7% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Phelps than nationally: 32.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.5% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Phelps: 95.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 Phelps
| Period | Phelps | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.2% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.2% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Phelps than nationally: unemployment was 3.6%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota. 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).
Phelps 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps | 2.25 | 56.5 | 2.3% | 4.8% | 42.1% | 1978 | $629 | 32.2% | 95.6% | 3.6% |
| Underwood | 2.36 | 52.1 | 4.2% | 5.3% | 37.3% | 1981 | $900 | 29.8% | 95.4% | 2.5% |
| Battle Lake | 2.06 | 59.9 | 2.2% | 18.3% | 48.1% | 1978 | $1,024 | 33.1% | 97.1% | 4.7% |
| Richville | 2.19 | 58.2 | 4.4% | 9.3% | 50.5% | 1980 | $795 | 27.7% | 96.0% | 4.0% |
| Elizabeth | 2.86 | 40.3 | 5.7% | 9.9% | 19.2% | 1975 | $1,061 | 29.3% | 94.6% | 1.5% |
| Erhard | 2.49 | 46.8 | 3.9% | 9.8% | 25.6% | 1978 | $1,068 | 25.3% | 93.9% | 5.6% |
| Fergus Falls | 2.33 | 43.8 | 6.9% | 30.3% | 11.3% | 1974 | $899 | 29.4% | 95.1% | 5.1% |
| Clitherall | 2.50 | 50.5 | 4.3% | 9.7% | 46.0% | 1979 | $1,144 | 26.4% | 95.9% | 5.5% |
| Dalton | 2.31 | 51.5 | 2.8% | 5.0% | 29.4% | 1974 | $832 | 28.3% | 94.7% | 2.6% |
| Dent | 2.37 | 54.5 | 4.4% | 8.7% | 55.9% | 1987 | $947 | 36.6% | 97.6% | 3.3% |
| Ottertail | 2.20 | 57.4 | 3.6% | 10.6% | 47.4% | 1981 | $893 | 26.7% | 95.1% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Horse Creek, TN · Tabor, MN · Sweetwater, OK · Summitville, OH · Jonesboro, OH · Jones, TX · Ingersoll, OK · Indiantown, MI · Imlertown, PA · Idamay, WV
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 Phelps. 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.