Population 7,164 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Central
Household size in South Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.03 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.81 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.80 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in South Central are small: just 2.23 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 3.03, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.1 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.7 | 38.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.8 | 38.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of South Central is 37.8 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 33.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −17.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in South Central: 15.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 17.5 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. South Central has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Raleigh 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 Central
Renters in South Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.0% | 32.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 66.9% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 66.9% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 58.8% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −15.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in South Central rent: 58.8% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. More than one in five owners (22.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 15.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.0% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 8.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in South Central is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 12.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1994 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1999 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in South Central was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the wider Raleigh area, where the median home dates to 1999. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $668 | $923 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $672 | $1,018 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $824 | $1,207 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,101 | $1,666 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$433 | +$743 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in South Central runs $1,101 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $433 a month from 2006–10, a 65% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 36.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. South Central has the lowest rents of any Raleigh neighborhood.
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 Central
Bachelor's degrees in South Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 41.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 43.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 47.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 51.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.8 pts | +9.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in South Central than nationally: 25.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 15.8 points, as it has nationally. Only one other Raleigh neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.6% | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 73.4% | 90.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.8% | 92.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.5% | 93.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +23.9 pts | +3.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in South Central never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 23.9 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Raleigh neighborhood has a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Central
| Period | South Central | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.5% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Central runs well above the national rate: 11.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. South Central has the highest unemployment rate of any Raleigh neighborhood. Unemployment is down 10.9 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Central 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 Central | 2.23 | 37.8 | 15.6% | 58.8% | 8.2% | 1983 | $1,101 | 25.7% | 83.5% | 11.6% |
| Central | 1.61 | 33.3 | 6.6% | 80.3% | 12.9% | 1996 | $1,604 | 56.5% | 90.8% | 7.1% |
| North Central | 1.80 | 30.4 | 8.8% | 63.8% | 22.9% | 1993 | $1,554 | 63.2% | 89.5% | 6.1% |
| Mordecai | 1.88 | 36.0 | 5.5% | 28.7% | 9.8% | 1977 | $1,791 | 78.6% | 97.8% | 2.6% |
| East Raleigh | 2.55 | 36.0 | 23.7% | 51.7% | 8.7% | 1973 | $1,260 | 37.6% | 90.4% | 8.5% |
| South | 2.90 | 36.6 | 22.4% | 39.0% | 6.4% | 1994 | $1,555 | 25.1% | 82.2% | 9.6% |
| Hillsborough | 1.83 | 28.2 | 5.1% | 79.3% | 11.7% | 1984 | $1,365 | 72.1% | 95.7% | 4.2% |
| Five Points | 2.39 | 38.9 | 8.2% | 30.6% | 8.1% | 1963 | $1,773 | 85.2% | 98.7% | 3.4% |
| Southwest Raleigh | 2.34 | 30.8 | 9.6% | 64.4% | 12.7% | 1994 | $1,416 | 52.2% | 89.9% | 6.1% |
| Wade | 2.17 | 32.5 | 4.4% | 40.0% | 12.3% | 1975 | $1,393 | 74.0% | 93.8% | 4.2% |
| Southeast | 2.84 | 35.7 | 17.1% | 36.6% | 5.0% | 1997 | $1,644 | 29.2% | 83.7% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Bakersfield Country Club, Bakersfield, CA · Southeast Redmond, Redmond, WA · University of NC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC · Uptown, Racine, WI · Wellswood, Tampa, FL · Central City Santa Ana, Santa Ana, CA · Central Business District, Pittsburgh, PA · West Ocean View, Norfolk, VA · Center Pointe, Aurora, CO · Carquinez Heights, Vallejo, CA
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 Central. 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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