Population 105 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ruby
Household size in Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.35 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.17 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Ruby are small: just 2.32 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.57 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.3 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.2 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.8 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 33.8, Ruby is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples.
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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.0% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about a quarter of households in Ruby (24.6%), 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 Ruby
Renters in Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.3% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.2% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −14.8 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Ruby rent their homes (27.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About nine in ten owners (92.7%) 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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.6% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 43.8% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.4% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ruby: 45.4% 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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
Ruby has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Alaska.
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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $543 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $598 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $463 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,150 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$607 | +$451 | +$606 |
Rent in Ruby runs $1,150 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 26.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably 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 Ruby
Bachelor's degrees in Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ruby have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 4.9%, 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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.1% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.1% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 76.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in Ruby never finished high school, well above the national share: only 76.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Ruby
| Period | Ruby | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.7% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 27.3% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −16.8 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Ruby: 14.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Ruby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | 2.32 | 33.8 | 24.6% | 27.5% | 45.4% | 1989 | $1,150 | 4.9% | 76.1% | 14.0% |
| Galena | 2.00 | 35.3 | 30.4% | 41.3% | 18.8% | 1985 | $1,199 | 37.2% | 95.3% | 0.3% |
| Koyukuk | 2.07 | 38.0 | 22.5% | 35.5% | 22.8% | 1985 | $1,184 | 28.2% | 94.3% | 3.7% |
| Huslia | 2.32 | 33.8 | 24.6% | 27.5% | 45.4% | 1989 | $1,150 | 4.9% | 76.1% | 14.0% |
| Nulato | 2.23 | 43.9 | 4.7% | 21.3% | 31.8% | 1985 | $1,150 | 7.9% | 92.1% | 11.3% |
| Kaltag | 2.23 | 43.9 | 4.7% | 21.3% | 31.8% | 1985 | $1,150 | 7.9% | 92.1% | 11.3% |
| Tanana | 1.94 | 36.0 | 12.2% | 42.0% | 38.4% | 1984 | $763 | 15.3% | 88.0% | 0.8% |
| Lake Minchumina | 2.13 | 38.4 | 17.3% | 27.2% | 47.3% | 1981 | $840 | 10.0% | 84.3% | 5.4% |
| Manley Hot Springs | 1.99 | 44.2 | 17.1% | 39.9% | 31.3% | 1984 | $1,337 | 25.9% | 95.3% | 9.6% |
| Rampart | 1.94 | 36.0 | 12.2% | 42.0% | 38.4% | 1984 | $763 | 15.3% | 88.0% | 0.8% |
| Koyuk | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sharon Center, PA · Josserand, TX · Julia, WV · Junius, SD · Jutland, NJ · Kabob, NY · Kaibab, AZ · Lime Kiln, AL · Sevier, UT · Shafter, TX
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 Ruby. 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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