Population 7,669 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Southwest Area
Household size in Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.29 | 2.35 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.14 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.21 | 2.37 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.92 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Southwest Area are large by national standards, averaging 3.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.29 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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.4 | 37.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.4 | 37.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.9 | 38.9 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +1.9 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.9, Southwest Area is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 32.7, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the south, 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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 10.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 11.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 11.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 11.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Southwest Area than nationally: 8.8%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 6.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Southwest Area
Renters in Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5% | 30.0% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.5% | 29.7% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.1% | 29.6% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Southwest Area rent their homes (32.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 38.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 9.8 points, 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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 7.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 9.2% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Southwest Area than nationally: 12.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1970 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1973 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1975 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Southwest Area is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the north.
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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $615 | $710 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $710 | $754 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $707 | $862 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,056 | $1,091 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$441 | +$382 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Southwest Area runs $1,056 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $441 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the south.
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 Southwest Area
Bachelor's degrees in Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 29.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 31.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 31.9% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 32.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Southwest Area have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.1%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southwest.
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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.2% | 92.6% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 93.4% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.4% | 93.4% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 93.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Southwest Area: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Cedar Rapids. The share with a diploma has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Southwest Area
| Period | Southwest Area | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Southwest Area has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Southwest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Area | 3.21 | 35.9 | 8.8% | 32.7% | 12.0% | 1961 | $1,056 | 12.1% | 95.2% | 2.9% |
| Taylor | 2.28 | 35.8 | 22.8% | 41.7% | 10.5% | 1958 | $1,191 | 16.8% | 91.6% | 4.6% |
| Cedar Hills | 2.34 | 35.4 | 12.2% | 38.9% | 10.2% | 1982 | $977 | 24.6% | 92.0% | 1.2% |
| Penn | 2.78 | 34.5 | 8.4% | 27.4% | 7.3% | 2001 | $1,216 | 55.2% | 99.0% | 3.3% |
| Wickham | 2.79 | 37.7 | 4.9% | 19.7% | 3.2% | 2001 | $1,162 | 72.6% | 98.5% | 1.0% |
| Kirkwood | 1.96 | 34.3 | 8.4% | 67.9% | 10.0% | 1992 | $1,164 | 49.9% | 94.4% | 2.8% |
| Mann | 2.03 | 24.7 | 5.6% | 68.5% | 9.0% | 1987 | $1,325 | 69.9% | 95.5% | 6.6% |
| Weber | 2.68 | 37.1 | 6.8% | 28.1% | 8.0% | 1999 | $1,368 | 63.6% | 93.6% | 1.6% |
| Roosevelt | 2.09 | 26.9 | 4.7% | 53.2% | 11.8% | 1977 | $1,167 | 72.8% | 95.2% | 5.2% |
| Longfellow | 2.12 | 28.6 | 5.3% | 65.0% | 12.9% | 1983 | $1,189 | 60.5% | 96.3% | 3.8% |
| Lucas | 2.14 | 42.2 | 6.7% | 29.2% | 7.5% | 1987 | $1,321 | 48.1% | 95.5% | 6.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Arbor Lodge, Portland, OR · Belmont, Pueblo, CO · Belvidere, Lowell, MA · Black Mountain, Henderson, NV · Lindenville, South San Francisco, CA · Salt Meadow Bay, Virginia Beach, VA · Nottingham, Katy, TX · North Waltham, Waltham, MA · North Hill Historic District, New Castle, PA · Natomas Corporate Center, Sacramento, 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 Southwest 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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