Population 246 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sanford
Household size in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.22 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.55 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Sanford average 2.67 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Tennessee as a whole, where it has 2.53 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.22, 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.3 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.8 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.8 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.2 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Sanford skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.8, 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Sanford than nationally: 9.6%, against 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 Sanford
Renters in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.1% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Sanford is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (47.2%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.9% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.3% of homes in Sanford are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sanford is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of Tennessee.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $644 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $550 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $445 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $686 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$42 | +$526 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sanford pays $686 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 33.3% 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 Sanford
Bachelor's degrees in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sanford have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.9%, 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.8% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.3% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.8% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.5% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Sanford never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Sanford than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Tennessee as a whole looks much the same. 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).
Sanford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 2.67 | 45.8 | 9.6% | 20.1% | 5.3% | 1989 | $686 | 15.9% | 85.5% | 4.6% |
| Calhoun | 2.68 | 47.7 | 6.8% | 14.5% | 6.1% | 1987 | $678 | 13.9% | 88.0% | 3.8% |
| South Liberty | 2.95 | 48.8 | 4.7% | 12.7% | 6.7% | 1981 | $602 | 9.5% | 87.5% | 0.6% |
| Riceville | 2.57 | 46.5 | 12.1% | 16.7% | 5.7% | 1995 | $809 | 19.9% | 85.8% | 2.3% |
| Watt Heights | 2.70 | 39.6 | 10.1% | 23.7% | 12.3% | 1982 | $964 | 14.2% | 92.4% | 0.9% |
| Lamontville | 2.77 | 41.6 | 9.7% | 16.0% | 3.8% | 1996 | $957 | 19.9% | 88.4% | 12.8% |
| Patty | 2.51 | 51.3 | 7.7% | 18.8% | 9.6% | 1983 | $688 | 19.4% | 85.9% | 5.0% |
| Charleston | 2.94 | 40.6 | 7.1% | 15.0% | 11.8% | 1991 | $1,113 | 20.7% | 94.1% | 4.9% |
| Wesleyanna | 2.13 | 55.6 | 6.7% | 25.3% | 12.0% | 1979 | $718 | 30.9% | 81.5% | 11.0% |
| New Bethel | 2.53 | 45.8 | 14.7% | 21.6% | 16.6% | 1971 | $835 | 23.4% | 84.7% | 11.3% |
| Athens | 2.45 | 41.9 | 14.8% | 30.5% | 12.6% | 1976 | $932 | 20.4% | 87.9% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Gazette, MO · Yellow Pine, AL · Yeoman, IN · Yukon, MO · Gladdice, TN · Zag, KY · Gillises Mills, TN · Zaneta, IA · Zeandale, KS · Gethsemane, 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 Sanford. 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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