Population 356 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ray
Household size in Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Ray is a place of small households, averaging 2.15 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.05 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.0 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 56.7 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 56.7, Ray 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Ray (10.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Minnesota overall (9.6%).
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 Ray
Renters in Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ray is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 58.8% 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.6% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.7% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 49.0% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.9% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ray: 43.9% 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Ray 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $414 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $668 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $690 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $717 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$303 | +$522 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ray costs $717 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 18.3% 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 Ray
Bachelor's degrees in Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ray have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.4%, 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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.8% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.5% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ray: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Minnesota as a whole looks much the same.
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 Ray
| Period | Ray | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ray is close to the national rate: 5.1% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Minnesota as a whole (4.1%). 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).
Ray 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray | 2.15 | 56.7 | 10.9% | 20.2% | 43.9% | 1978 | $717 | 24.4% | 94.9% | 5.1% |
| Ericsburg | 1.85 | 57.3 | 7.3% | 14.3% | 19.4% | 1985 | $695 | 22.2% | 99.6% | 0.3% |
| Island View | 2.05 | 54.4 | 7.0% | 5.7% | 34.5% | 1977 | $697 | 35.4% | 98.6% | 4.6% |
| Ranier | 1.97 | 53.4 | 9.3% | 15.6% | 22.2% | 1969 | $639 | 26.6% | 98.3% | 3.5% |
| Jameson | 1.82 | 54.6 | 12.8% | 15.4% | 11.5% | 1975 | $589 | 16.8% | 98.2% | 3.4% |
| International Falls | 1.96 | 47.8 | 11.1% | 22.0% | 12.1% | 1966 | $603 | 22.9% | 94.6% | 5.6% |
| Pelland | 2.35 | 46.8 | 5.1% | 8.3% | 12.2% | 1972 | $892 | 18.4% | 93.8% | 0.3% |
| Littlefork | 2.10 | 54.9 | 9.2% | 21.6% | 25.8% | 1976 | $743 | 23.3% | 94.3% | 2.7% |
| Nett Lake | 2.27 | 58.1 | 11.5% | 16.7% | 65.9% | 1980 | $752 | 23.0% | 94.0% | 7.6% |
| Orr | 2.26 | 55.7 | 12.0% | 14.3% | 61.9% | 1979 | $731 | 22.1% | 94.5% | 5.7% |
| Silverdale | 2.23 | 57.5 | 11.4% | 18.4% | 57.6% | 1979 | $738 | 23.7% | 94.2% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Piney Grove, NC · Ordway, SD · Orient, IL · Ortley, SD · Parker School, MT · Parthenon, AR · Peckham, CO · Pemberton, VA · Perrytown, AR · Petersburg, IA
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 Ray. 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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