Population 1,324 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Sheldon
Household size in Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Sheldon are small: just 2.14 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.33, 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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.3 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sheldon is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Sheldon (12.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Illinois as a whole (11.3%).
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 Sheldon
Renters in Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.8% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Sheldon own their homes; 28.8% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. About six in ten owners (59.3%) 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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Sheldon than nationally: 12.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1947 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +6 |
Sheldon is a place of older homes: half were built before 1948, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $714 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $680 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $742 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$78 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Sheldon runs $742 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.6% 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 Sheldon
Bachelor's degrees in Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Sheldon: 11.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well 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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.0% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Sheldon never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.0% 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 Sheldon
| Period | Sheldon | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sheldon runs well above the national rate: 14.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 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).
Sheldon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon | 2.14 | 42.2 | 12.5% | 28.8% | 12.3% | 1948 | $742 | 11.7% | 81.0% | 14.3% |
| Effner | 2.11 | 45.0 | 7.1% | 28.7% | 12.6% | 1952 | $695 | 10.4% | 80.6% | 18.5% |
| Iroquois | 2.58 | 42.7 | 15.9% | 12.3% | 16.2% | 1939 | $824 | 15.9% | 94.1% | 10.9% |
| Raub | 2.33 | 42.7 | 17.0% | 16.8% | 14.3% | 1956 | $838 | 15.8% | 92.2% | 5.1% |
| Kentland | 2.17 | 42.0 | 21.0% | 20.1% | 10.7% | 1950 | $784 | 18.0% | 88.9% | 12.8% |
| Woodland | 1.92 | 51.4 | 5.7% | 17.9% | 9.0% | 1972 | $941 | 19.0% | 89.2% | 4.4% |
| Watseka | 2.17 | 44.4 | 17.5% | 30.5% | 9.3% | 1963 | $847 | 13.4% | 88.0% | 5.5% |
| Donovan | 2.42 | 45.8 | 14.1% | 12.6% | 16.1% | 1943 | $818 | 14.4% | 94.8% | 9.8% |
| Earl Park | 2.43 | 39.9 | 11.0% | 16.7% | 12.7% | 1951 | $899 | 18.1% | 93.3% | 2.7% |
| Freeland Park | 2.69 | 37.2 | 10.0% | 13.0% | 12.4% | 1949 | $953 | 24.5% | 93.3% | 1.4% |
| Milford | 2.11 | 44.3 | 12.0% | 20.6% | 8.7% | 1965 | $778 | 24.1% | 81.7% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lebo, KS · Southwest Harbor, ME · Sierra Blanca, TX · Seco Mines, TX · Medanales, NM · Maxwell, CA · Marianna, PA · Los Olivos, CA · Lewisville, AR · Lerna, IL
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 Sheldon. 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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