Population 2,915 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Southwood
Household size in Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.84 | 2.58 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.17 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 4.30 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.82 | 2.54 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Southwood is a place of big households: 3.82 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Southwood has the largest households of any Richmond neighborhood.
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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9 | 38.2 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 26.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.6 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 19.4 | 39.6 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −8.5 | +1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Southwood is young: half of its residents are under 19.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward families with many children. The median age has dropped from 27.9 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. No other Richmond neighborhood is younger.
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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.0% | 12.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.3% | 12.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 11.3% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 65.4% | 12.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +39.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about two-thirds of households in Southwood (65.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. No other Richmond neighborhood has 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 Southwood
Renters in Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.5% | 31.5% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 96.3% | 33.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 34.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 33.0% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Southwood rent: 96.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About a quarter of owners (25.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Only one other Richmond neighborhood has a higher 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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.3% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 8.1% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −19.5 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Southwood as nationally: 10.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Richmond area as a whole (8.4%).
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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1979 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1980 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1984 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Southwood leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. Compared with other Richmond neighborhoods, though, Southwood has newer homes than most.
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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $735 | $1,006 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $788 | $1,097 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $851 | $1,248 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,113 | $1,608 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$379 | +$602 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Southwood runs $1,113 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 49.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Southwood
Bachelor's degrees in Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 33.0% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.9% | 34.4% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 38.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 41.0% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Southwood: 8.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Only one other Richmond 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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.4% | 86.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 38.7% | 88.1% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 38.4% | 90.0% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 26.0% | 92.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three-quarters of adults in Southwood never finished high school, well above the national share: only 26.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Southwood has the lowest share of high school graduates of any Richmond neighborhood.
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 Southwood
| Period | Southwood | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 7.1% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 8.2% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 4.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Southwood: 13.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of Richmond's 20 neighborhoods, only two have higher unemployment. 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).
Southwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwood | 3.82 | 19.4 | 65.4% | 96.9% | 10.1% | 1972 | $1,113 | 8.9% | 26.0% | 13.6% |
| Reedy Creek | 2.64 | 37.9 | 17.0% | 29.8% | 6.1% | 1949 | $1,148 | 36.0% | 85.1% | 4.6% |
| Swansboro | 2.62 | 29.9 | 23.1% | 51.3% | 8.0% | 1956 | $858 | 34.0% | 77.9% | 3.3% |
| Bellemeade | 2.60 | 31.8 | 30.5% | 60.8% | 10.3% | 1953 | $876 | 8.6% | 81.5% | 9.7% |
| Jeff Davis | 3.24 | 33.8 | 21.3% | 64.2% | 13.7% | 1961 | $1,098 | 12.7% | 73.0% | 2.9% |
| Jahnke | 1.77 | 35.8 | 21.2% | 76.6% | 13.4% | 1981 | $1,294 | 41.7% | 92.4% | 6.9% |
| Old Town Manchester | 1.35 | 30.1 | 17.7% | 94.5% | 10.0% | 2005 | $1,572 | 68.8% | 98.2% | 0.6% |
| Monroe Ward | 1.66 | 25.6 | 8.2% | 99.9% | 15.3% | 1969 | $1,281 | 44.1% | 97.5% | 9.3% |
| VCU | 1.69 | 19.5 | 8.6% | 84.3% | 16.0% | 1946 | $1,435 | 57.1% | 90.7% | 24.9% |
| Shockoe Bottom | 1.51 | 31.1 | 2.6% | 92.1% | 19.2% | 1950 | $1,436 | 61.8% | 93.4% | 1.3% |
| The Fan | 1.86 | 33.2 | 5.9% | 59.7% | 7.3% | 1940 | $1,574 | 73.5% | 96.2% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: South Houston Gardens, Pasadena, TX · Reichlieu, Mobile, AL · Riverside Heights, Tampa, FL · Rosemont North, Orlando, FL · Santa Fe, Emeryville, CA · Sharon Heights, Menlo Park, CA · Sherwoods Manor, Stockton, CA · South Abbott, Buffalo, NY · South Beach Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL · South Broadway, Albuquerque, NM
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 Southwood. 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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