Population 9,362 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Area
Household size in South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.02 | 2.58 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.98 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.60 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.27 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.25 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
South Area is a place of big households: 3.27 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 3.02 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only one other Wichita neighborhood has larger households.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1 | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.4 | 36.6 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.4 | 37.4 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.0 | 37.8 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | +1.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
South Area is young: half of its residents are under 32.0, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. South Area is younger than the great majority of Wichita neighborhoods.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 11.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 11.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about a quarter of households in South Area (24.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. South Area has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Wichita neighborhoods.
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 South Area
Renters in South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.9% | 31.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.8% | 35.0% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.3% | 34.7% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in South Area own their homes; 30.3% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (51.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 10.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. No other Wichita neighborhood has a lower share of renters.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in South Area: 7.3% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. South Area has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Wichita neighborhoods.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1973 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1974 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1976 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1978 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in South Area are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Only two of Wichita's 22 neighborhoods have newer homes.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $788 | $763 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $796 | $847 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $763 | $947 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,117 | $1,118 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$329 | +$355 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in South Area runs $1,117 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $329 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the northeast.
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 South Area
Bachelor's degrees in South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 27.4% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 29.2% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 30.6% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 32.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in South Area have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.4% | 88.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 89.3% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.4% | 89.9% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.1% | 90.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in South Area never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 0.6 points, a smaller shift than 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 South Area
| Period | South Area | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Area runs well above the national rate: 14.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only one other Wichita neighborhood has higher unemployment. 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).
South Area compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Area | 3.27 | 32.0 | 24.8% | 30.3% | 7.3% | 1984 | $1,117 | 12.3% | 85.1% | 14.3% |
| South City Community | 2.49 | 36.3 | 12.3% | 57.3% | 18.6% | 1959 | $987 | 9.2% | 71.0% | 2.2% |
| Riverside | 2.29 | 39.5 | 14.6% | 41.8% | 7.1% | 1965 | $1,078 | 19.6% | 87.4% | 6.5% |
| Southwest | 2.49 | 38.3 | 17.9% | 37.2% | 13.1% | 1961 | $1,080 | 12.9% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Mead | 2.45 | 38.0 | 21.2% | 56.2% | 12.4% | 1957 | $980 | 12.2% | 83.0% | 10.5% |
| South Central Improvemen | 2.35 | 39.5 | 13.6% | 57.1% | 20.6% | 1950 | $870 | 13.6% | 77.6% | 4.0% |
| Southwest Village | 3.14 | 30.4 | 26.8% | 41.1% | 17.0% | 1979 | $853 | 17.4% | 76.3% | 19.8% |
| Stanley-Aley | 2.12 | 39.9 | 13.7% | 34.7% | 15.2% | 1957 | $890 | 9.8% | 78.8% | 6.5% |
| College Hill | 2.43 | 35.5 | 6.4% | 34.4% | 10.4% | 1938 | $1,239 | 66.3% | 97.9% | 4.9% |
| Eastridge | 2.26 | 37.7 | 12.0% | 68.4% | 12.4% | 1961 | $965 | 17.8% | 78.5% | 8.6% |
| Chisholm Creek | 2.62 | 32.9 | 8.7% | 54.3% | 10.0% | 1988 | $1,394 | 28.2% | 88.4% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Beechhurst, Queens, NY · Black Rock, Bridgeport, CT · Brainerd, Chicago, IL · Candler Park, Atlanta, GA · Clarkdale, Chicago, IL · Craven, Jacksonville, FL · Cross Fletcher, University, FL · Crossroads, Boulder, CO · Deep Creek West, Chesapeake, VA · Devington, Indianapolis, IN
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 South Area. 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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