Population 3,251 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Sparks
Household size in Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.81 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Sparks run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.81, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.8 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.7 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.8 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.4 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.8, the median age in Sparks is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Georgia as a whole, where the median age is 38.6.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Sparks, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Sparks
Renters in Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.1% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.4% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +15.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Sparks rent their homes (38.9%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 51.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sparks: 14.4% of homes are empty, 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.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Sparks are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Georgia overall, where the median home dates to 1991.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $751 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $726 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $780 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $941 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$189 | +$609 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sparks costs $941 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Sparks
Bachelor's degrees in Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sparks have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.0%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.4% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.3% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.8% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.4% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.1 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Sparks never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Sparks
| Period | Sparks | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Sparks: 6.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Sparks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparks | 2.50 | 40.8 | 6.7% | 38.9% | 14.4% | 1982 | $941 | 15.0% | 83.4% | 6.2% |
| Adel | 2.79 | 37.7 | 14.2% | 36.6% | 19.3% | 1983 | $1,040 | 19.7% | 82.9% | 4.5% |
| Massee | 2.84 | 38.2 | 6.6% | 29.5% | 13.4% | 1982 | $833 | 12.6% | 86.0% | 4.0% |
| Lenox | 2.47 | 44.2 | 7.4% | 20.2% | 12.5% | 1984 | $860 | 15.5% | 86.4% | 1.9% |
| Ellenton | 2.95 | 37.1 | 13.7% | 15.9% | 17.7% | 1986 | $857 | 12.4% | 79.6% | 1.3% |
| Cecil | 2.97 | 43.2 | 10.4% | 22.3% | 7.6% | 1998 | $1,150 | 22.3% | 85.5% | 0.5% |
| Nashville | 2.62 | 39.4 | 10.1% | 33.8% | 15.0% | 1986 | $808 | 15.7% | 80.6% | 4.9% |
| Barney | 2.48 | 55.0 | 5.2% | 18.0% | 9.2% | 1994 | $743 | 23.2% | 90.6% | 2.7% |
| Berlin | 2.80 | 41.0 | 10.9% | 18.3% | 19.1% | 1986 | $877 | 11.9% | 82.2% | 2.1% |
| Norman Park | 3.10 | 34.3 | 23.1% | 28.8% | 8.4% | 1990 | $987 | 13.1% | 83.4% | 3.5% |
| Ray City | 2.89 | 36.2 | 10.9% | 24.0% | 10.5% | 2000 | $1,050 | 14.1% | 86.5% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Columbus, MT · Buffalo Gap, TX · Mayer, MN · Winchester, OR · Thompson, CT · Tahoka, TX · Somis, CA · Shelburne Falls, MA · Richmond, UT · Providence, KY
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 Sparks. 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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