Population 572 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rail Road Flat
Household size in Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.07 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.06 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.04 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.98 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Rail Road Flat is a place of big households: 3.04 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.07, 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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.0 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 58.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.7 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Rail Road Flat skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Rail Road Flat (16.9%), well above 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 Rail Road Flat
Renters in Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.4% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Rail Road Flat is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (53.9%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.5% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 45.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Rail Road Flat: 28.1% 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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rail Road Flat is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $767 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $748 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,254 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$510 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rail Road Flat pays $1,254 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 35.5% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Rail Road Flat
Bachelor's degrees in Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −12.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Rail Road Flat: 9.9% 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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.4% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Rail Road Flat never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Even so, the rate is higher than in California as a whole (84.2%).
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 Rail Road Flat
| Period | Rail Road Flat | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 35.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Rail Road Flat is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in California overall (6.6%). 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).
Rail Road Flat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Road Flat | 3.04 | 51.0 | 16.9% | 14.8% | 28.1% | 1994 | $1,254 | 9.9% | 87.5% | 5.3% |
| Glencoe | 3.04 | 43.0 | 11.5% | 6.4% | 33.2% | 1991 | $1,231 | 9.7% | 89.3% | 7.1% |
| Wilseyville | 2.24 | 62.5 | 10.6% | 6.9% | 27.2% | 1980 | $1,219 | 13.1% | 86.6% | 8.1% |
| West Point | 2.22 | 57.5 | 11.8% | 19.5% | 26.5% | 1971 | $1,111 | 13.8% | 87.7% | 4.2% |
| Mountain Ranch | 2.48 | 57.7 | 5.8% | 13.0% | 19.8% | 1991 | $1,340 | 26.7% | 91.0% | 11.5% |
| Sheep Ranch | 2.53 | 55.5 | 1.7% | 17.6% | 21.1% | 1996 | $1,373 | 29.5% | 96.6% | 28.8% |
| Mokelumne Hill | 2.55 | 57.7 | 16.7% | 15.8% | 19.9% | 1994 | $1,306 | 18.6% | 91.0% | 0.9% |
| Pioneer | 2.35 | 51.5 | 9.8% | 12.3% | 28.5% | 1983 | $1,478 | 23.3% | 95.2% | 2.7% |
| Pine Grove | 2.34 | 50.6 | 6.6% | 14.8% | 21.4% | 1980 | $1,252 | 23.8% | 93.4% | 5.5% |
| Kit Carson | 2.29 | 53.1 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 35.0% | 1985 | $1,684 | 22.7% | 91.0% | 4.5% |
| Avery | 2.15 | 54.5 | 4.8% | 9.4% | 52.5% | 1983 | $1,876 | 41.6% | 94.9% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Progress, VA · Nixburg, AL · Norske, WI · North Lake, MI · North Loup, NE · North Russell, NY · North View, VA · North Waldoboro, ME · Orick, CA · Powell, PA
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 Rail Road Flat. 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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