Population 5,218 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sparta
Household size in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.26 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Sparta are small: just 2.14 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 has dropped from 2.26 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 16 have smaller households.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.9 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.8, Sparta is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.9, in line with the national trend. Sparta is older than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Sparta than nationally: 14.5%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 6.5 points, even as the national share fell. Sparta has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Sparta
Renters in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Sparta is about as common as it is nationally: 35.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 49.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 11.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.6% of the housing in Sparta, 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. Vacancy is up 2.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Sparta is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1962 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the east.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $617 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $646 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $742 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $770 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$154 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sparta costs $770 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $154 a month since 2006–10, up 25%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southeast.
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 Sparta
Bachelor's degrees in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sparta have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Sparta has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.8% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.3% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sparta is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.5 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Sparta than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. The picture is much the same across Illinois. 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).
Sparta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | 2.14 | 45.8 | 14.5% | 35.7% | 16.6% | 1970 | $770 | 18.3% | 93.3% | 6.4% |
| Eden | 2.38 | 50.2 | 10.1% | 16.9% | 15.7% | 1973 | $744 | 19.7% | 98.3% | 8.5% |
| Houston | 2.13 | 49.2 | 7.2% | 0.9% | 4.0% | 1967 | $825 | 9.4% | 98.2% | 5.3% |
| Tilden | 2.23 | 45.1 | 13.3% | 26.8% | 7.0% | 1969 | $803 | 7.1% | 79.3% | 13.2% |
| Coulterville | 2.16 | 49.5 | 14.4% | 16.0% | 13.8% | 1981 | $854 | 16.6% | 89.5% | 11.0% |
| Walsh | 2.19 | 56.8 | 11.8% | 4.6% | 17.6% | 1973 | $863 | 15.3% | 90.5% | 10.3% |
| Steeleville | 2.35 | 43.7 | 13.9% | 27.3% | 13.4% | 1973 | $716 | 16.5% | 83.8% | 2.9% |
| Preston | 2.31 | 44.1 | 17.9% | 18.8% | 11.6% | 1975 | $866 | 8.6% | 96.4% | 14.9% |
| Baldwin | 2.31 | 43.7 | 18.2% | 20.9% | 12.0% | 1975 | $865 | 8.5% | 96.1% | 14.9% |
| Jamestown | 2.58 | 36.6 | 2.5% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 1968 | $586 | 35.0% | 96.9% | 0.0% |
| Swanwick | 2.29 | 45.5 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 12.2% | 1993 | $872 | 6.8% | 82.6% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Crivitz, WI · Cornwall, PA · Cozad, NE · Crane, TX · Cream Ridge, NJ · Crescent City, FL · Cresco, IA · Crewe, VA · Crisfield, MD · Columbus, MN
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 Sparta. 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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