Population 670 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Serena
Household size in Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.77 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.44 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Serena run small, averaging 2.42 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.86, 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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.6, Serena 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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Serena: 4.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Serena
Renters in Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.2% of households in Serena rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (41.2%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Serena as nationally: 10.5%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Illinois as a whole (8.1%).
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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Serena 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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $802 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $893 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $763 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,190 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$388 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Serena costs $1,190 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 25.1% 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 Serena
Bachelor's degrees in Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +26.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults 25 and older in Serena (38.3%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to 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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.4% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.9% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.4% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Serena is above the national rate: 93.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 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 Serena
| Period | Serena | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Serena has been low: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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).
Serena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serena | 2.42 | 52.6 | 4.3% | 17.2% | 10.5% | 1994 | $1,190 | 38.3% | 93.4% | 2.2% |
| Wedron | 2.47 | 43.1 | 3.3% | 14.7% | 9.3% | 1984 | $1,191 | 25.5% | 93.7% | 5.0% |
| Sheridan | 2.32 | 44.3 | 8.3% | 17.7% | 4.0% | 1975 | $1,164 | 17.4% | 85.7% | 4.0% |
| Harding | 2.32 | 47.6 | 8.4% | 25.6% | 7.2% | 1976 | $980 | 19.9% | 93.4% | 1.8% |
| Leland | 2.56 | 39.4 | 18.7% | 29.2% | 4.6% | 1971 | $1,440 | 24.1% | 95.0% | 5.3% |
| Prairie Center | 2.47 | 45.9 | 4.0% | 8.6% | 11.6% | 1974 | $1,220 | 26.3% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Millington | 2.46 | 45.2 | 8.9% | 14.7% | 7.1% | 1979 | $1,467 | 22.3% | 89.6% | 3.1% |
| Somonauk | 2.49 | 44.5 | 5.5% | 17.7% | 5.7% | 1977 | $1,305 | 27.6% | 97.4% | 2.6% |
| Stavanger | 2.66 | 44.8 | 4.8% | 18.5% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,090 | 23.6% | 95.6% | 2.2% |
| Marseilles | 2.48 | 42.8 | 7.8% | 23.9% | 12.6% | 1974 | $1,007 | 22.3% | 94.6% | 6.4% |
| Ottawa | 2.39 | 42.3 | 15.6% | 27.0% | 8.2% | 1967 | $938 | 24.2% | 92.5% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Zenith, WV · Adirondack, NY · Welcome, LA · Wheatland, PA · Bel, LA · Beekman, LA · Bayard, IA · Bath Springs, TN · Batesville, VA · Barry, 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 Serena. 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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