Population 12,019 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in South Boston
Household size in South Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in South Boston are small: just 2.37 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 has crept up from 2.33 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.6 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.5 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.9 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of South Boston is 43.7 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 44.6 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the north.
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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in South Boston (18.1%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.4 points, even as the national share fell. Only 15 of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Boston
Renters in South Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.2% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in South Boston than nationally: 38.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Nearly six in ten owners (57.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.9 points, a much bigger shift than 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 South Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.1% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 20.1% of the housing in South Boston, 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. Vacancy has risen 6.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
South Boston is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing. Only 23 of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have older 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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $593 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $696 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $873 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$280 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in South Boston runs $873 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $280 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the northwest.
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 Boston
Bachelor's degrees in South Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in South Boston have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.7 points, as it has nationally. South Boston has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Virginia cities.
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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.2% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.6% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.4% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.3 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in South Boston never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 12.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. South Boston has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Virginia cities.
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 Boston
| Period | South Boston | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Boston runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.0 points, in line with the national trend. 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 Boston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Boston | 2.37 | 43.7 | 18.1% | 38.2% | 20.1% | 1970 | $873 | 20.2% | 86.4% | 4.1% |
| Hyco | 2.61 | 43.6 | 8.7% | 28.6% | 31.2% | 1965 | $1,114 | 27.6% | 88.8% | 0.0% |
| Halifax | 2.63 | 45.7 | 13.2% | 22.9% | 19.2% | 1977 | $827 | 22.0% | 82.5% | 4.4% |
| Cluster Springs | 2.50 | 46.2 | 17.4% | 20.9% | 15.6% | 1986 | $849 | 20.0% | 87.0% | 2.8% |
| Danripple | 2.57 | 52.2 | 14.4% | 22.6% | 15.5% | 1988 | $794 | 23.4% | 90.7% | 2.0% |
| Piney Grove | 2.06 | 49.8 | 7.0% | 16.5% | 9.0% | 1983 | $735 | 16.5% | 85.7% | 3.5% |
| Denniston | 2.65 | 42.8 | 23.2% | 16.6% | 14.3% | 1992 | $807 | 22.7% | 87.6% | 4.6% |
| Scottsburg | 2.09 | 52.3 | 7.5% | 19.2% | 11.0% | 1980 | $860 | 24.0% | 82.3% | 1.6% |
| Virgilina | 2.75 | 41.8 | 12.4% | 16.2% | 34.4% | 1976 | $1,133 | 18.5% | 88.3% | 1.4% |
| Paces | 2.66 | 43.2 | 8.4% | 29.7% | 34.0% | 1963 | $1,126 | 26.1% | 89.1% | 0.0% |
| White Oak | 2.50 | 47.8 | 2.5% | 27.5% | 24.1% | 1977 | $855 | 14.2% | 93.7% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tyrone, PA · Dudley, MA · Duson, LA · Duvall, WA · Temple Hills, MD · Tillamook, OR · Toney, AL · Totowa, NJ · Trenton, FL · Troutman, 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 South Boston. 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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