Population 2,411 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Shirley
Household size in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Shirley are small: just 2.27 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: 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.6 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.8 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.3 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.3, Shirley 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Shirley (10.5%), a little below 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 Shirley
Renters in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.2% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shirley is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 50.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 4.0 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.2% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 35.8% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Shirley: 23.7% 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Shirley is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across Arkansas.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $494 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $585 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $699 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $733 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$239 | +$346 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Shirley costs $733 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Shirley
Bachelor's degrees in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shirley: 13.3% 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.1% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.2% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.2% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Shirley never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.2% 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Shirley: 6.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
Shirley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley | 2.27 | 48.3 | 10.5% | 14.3% | 23.7% | 1987 | $733 | 13.3% | 85.2% | 6.9% |
| Rushing | 2.44 | 40.4 | 12.9% | 4.3% | 18.3% | 1984 | $725 | 8.3% | 74.9% | 2.4% |
| Fairfield Bay | 1.75 | 64.5 | 5.8% | 12.7% | 29.2% | 1983 | $1,019 | 28.4% | 93.7% | 2.9% |
| Clinton | 2.24 | 45.0 | 15.0% | 25.6% | 21.5% | 1988 | $708 | 14.9% | 86.6% | 3.5% |
| Edgemont | 2.32 | 57.0 | 7.6% | 10.7% | 41.0% | 1988 | $853 | 21.5% | 97.5% | 5.0% |
| Plant | 1.99 | 52.7 | 14.3% | 4.6% | 27.7% | 1988 | $721 | 5.5% | 75.3% | 0.6% |
| Higden | 2.38 | 50.2 | 10.2% | 14.4% | 50.2% | 1996 | $961 | 18.5% | 87.2% | 1.9% |
| Choctaw | 2.07 | 41.9 | 8.7% | 40.5% | 27.6% | 1992 | $698 | 20.4% | 88.1% | 1.6% |
| Greers Ferry | 2.04 | 57.9 | 9.9% | 14.9% | 43.2% | 1992 | $1,188 | 21.6% | 91.2% | 1.9% |
| Botkinburg | 2.17 | 53.5 | 21.1% | 13.2% | 17.5% | 1988 | $780 | 10.6% | 86.5% | 12.6% |
| Culpeper | 2.26 | 37.1 | 15.4% | 49.8% | 19.1% | 1979 | $819 | 12.8% | 86.9% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Arcola, TX · Vernon, VT · East Dennis, MA · East Brookfield, MA · Earlham, IA · Durant, IA · Drain, OR · Downs, IL · Covert, MI · Cove City, NC
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 Shirley. 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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