Population 560 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Scotch Ridge
Household size in Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.84 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.35 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Scotch Ridge average 2.84 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.49, 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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.9 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.8 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.9, the median age in Scotch Ridge is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in the Des Moines area overall, where the median age is 37.6.
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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Scotch Ridge (14.4%), 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 Scotch Ridge
Renters in Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Scotch Ridge is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 35.5% have no mortgage at all, below 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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.0% of homes in Scotch Ridge 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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Scotch Ridge has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $798 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $559 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $910 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,272 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$474 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Scotch Ridge pays $1,272 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole ($1,210). Rent takes 28.5% 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 Scotch Ridge
Bachelor's degrees in Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.4% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.9% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Scotch Ridge (31.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little 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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.1% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.0% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Scotch Ridge: 94.8% 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 Scotch Ridge
| Period | Scotch Ridge | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.2% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Scotch Ridge than nationally: unemployment was 4.3%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area. 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).
Scotch Ridge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch Ridge | 2.84 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 9.5% | 5.0% | 1993 | $1,272 | 31.3% | 94.8% | 4.3% |
| Summerset | 2.45 | 43.7 | 3.5% | 13.8% | 7.7% | 2003 | $1,614 | 38.3% | 96.3% | 4.0% |
| Carlisle | 2.77 | 36.2 | 18.6% | 16.1% | 6.3% | 1981 | $1,143 | 29.7% | 95.2% | 4.9% |
| Norwalk | 2.53 | 39.3 | 11.5% | 15.9% | 4.0% | 1996 | $909 | 37.5% | 97.3% | 3.5% |
| Spring Hill | 2.86 | 42.9 | 10.2% | 5.7% | 5.4% | 1995 | $1,407 | 32.9% | 95.9% | 3.0% |
| Palmyra | 2.73 | 35.4 | 12.4% | 13.6% | 13.7% | 1976 | $1,544 | 28.7% | 95.3% | 0.4% |
| Indianola | 2.44 | 38.1 | 11.4% | 26.9% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,128 | 34.8% | 96.8% | 3.7% |
| Des Moines area | 2.52 | 37.6 | 11.2% | 30.5% | 7.0% | 1983 | $1,210 | 40.3% | 92.9% | 4.5% |
| Pleasant Hill | 2.59 | 40.1 | 11.3% | 19.0% | 6.6% | 1996 | $1,341 | 36.2% | 98.7% | 9.9% |
| Medora | 2.71 | 44.4 | 3.8% | 11.1% | 6.0% | 1992 | $1,255 | 34.3% | 97.1% | 3.8% |
| Hartford | 2.71 | 36.1 | 11.4% | 7.1% | 21.6% | 1980 | $1,163 | 25.2% | 94.4% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Center Hill, AL · West Side, OR · West Leyden, NY · West Andrews, SC · Wells Tannery, PA · Choestoe, GA · Chestnut Mound, TN · Chesterville, ME · Cherokee, TX · Charlotte Center, NY
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 Scotch Ridge. 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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