Population 5,676 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Southwest Garden
Household size in Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.89 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.88 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.98 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.92 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Southwest Garden are small: just 1.92 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 Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 39.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.8 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.7 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 39.7, the median age in Southwest Garden is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 39.4 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 11.5% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Southwest Garden as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider St. Louis area (11.1%). The single-parent share has risen 9.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Garden
Renters in Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.3% | 28.3% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 62.8% | 30.1% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.6% | 31.1% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 51.8% | 29.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Southwest Garden rent: 51.8% 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 a quarter of owners (27.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 3.5 points from 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 Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Southwest Garden than nationally: 6.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 9.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other St. Louis neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1941 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1943 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Southwest Garden is a place of older homes: half were built before 1943, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east 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 Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $702 | $825 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $704 | $920 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $788 | $1,010 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,063 | $1,239 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$362 | +$414 | +$383 | +$606 |
The median renter in Southwest Garden pays $1,063 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $362 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Garden
Bachelor's degrees in Southwest Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9% | 30.3% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.4% | 32.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.8% | 34.9% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.7% | 38.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults 25 and older in Southwest Garden (38.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The picture is much the same across the St. Louis area. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast 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 Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 88.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.9% | 90.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 92.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 93.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Southwest Garden is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the St. Louis area. The share with a diploma is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Garden
| Period | Southwest Garden | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Southwest Garden has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.7 points from 2006–10, as it has 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).
Southwest Garden 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 Garden | 1.92 | 39.7 | 12.4% | 51.8% | 6.1% | 1943 | $1,063 | 38.7% | 94.0% | 2.6% |
| North Hampton | 1.68 | 39.1 | 8.5% | 48.7% | 9.1% | 1945 | $929 | 51.0% | 95.9% | 2.3% |
| Clifton Heights | 1.90 | 41.0 | 7.2% | 22.5% | 6.8% | 1939 | $1,175 | 49.9% | 95.4% | 1.8% |
| Tower Grove South | 2.11 | 37.8 | 8.1% | 43.9% | 15.4% | 1939 | $1,076 | 50.9% | 93.5% | 3.8% |
| Shaw | 2.14 | 36.5 | 8.0% | 48.7% | 9.8% | 1940 | $1,449 | 73.2% | 97.8% | 2.2% |
| South Hampton | 1.94 | 39.3 | 9.4% | 30.9% | 7.3% | 1939 | $1,136 | 56.5% | 95.2% | 1.5% |
| Forest Park Southeast | 1.77 | 32.8 | 3.7% | 65.5% | 18.0% | 1956 | $1,421 | 62.6% | 96.1% | 2.6% |
| Lindenwood Park | 1.86 | 41.4 | 7.5% | 29.7% | 5.3% | 1943 | $956 | 51.9% | 98.6% | 2.2% |
| Franz Park | 2.02 | 36.1 | 6.8% | 47.3% | 8.4% | 1944 | $1,116 | 57.8% | 97.5% | 3.8% |
| Bevo Mill | 2.31 | 38.2 | 21.7% | 38.6% | 11.6% | 1942 | $849 | 27.3% | 84.4% | 2.9% |
| Tower Grove East | 2.17 | 37.8 | 17.8% | 42.9% | 11.2% | 1938 | $1,183 | 51.9% | 91.7% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Fort des Moines, Des Moines, IA · The Crossing, Las Vegas, NV · Temescal, Oakland, CA · Sunwood Central, Santa Ana, CA · Keeling, Tucson, AZ · Jingletown, Oakland, CA · Heights, Laredo, TX · Groesbeck, Cincinnati, OH · Gresham-Southwest, Gresham, OR · Green Island, Worcester, MA
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 Garden. 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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