Population 15,997 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sparta
Household size in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The average household in Sparta has 2.45 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Wisconsin. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.42, 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.0 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Sparta are younger than 40.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Sparta is younger than most Wisconsin 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Sparta (12.2%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Wisconsin overall (9.8%). The single-parent share has edged up 1.3 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 Sparta
Renters in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.3% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Sparta rent their homes (28.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 42.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.3 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Sparta than nationally: 6.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy is up 0.7 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Sparta are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $730 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $760 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $856 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,017 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$287 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in Sparta runs $1,017 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $287 a month from 2006–10, a 39% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the center.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sparta have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Sparta has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Wisconsin 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Sparta have finished high school (92.9%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Wisconsin. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.4 points, 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sparta has been low: just 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 1.5 points, mirroring the country. 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 | 2.45 | 40.2 | 12.2% | 28.3% | 6.5% | 1977 | $1,017 | 21.7% | 92.9% | 3.4% |
| Leon | 2.82 | 41.2 | 3.8% | 6.9% | 8.5% | 1991 | $998 | 23.9% | 94.6% | 1.7% |
| Rockland | 2.64 | 39.1 | 8.0% | 17.0% | 8.4% | 1981 | $991 | 21.9% | 93.3% | 2.2% |
| Melvina | 2.97 | 35.6 | 7.6% | 11.3% | 10.1% | 1983 | $846 | 18.7% | 87.9% | 0.9% |
| Bangor | 2.53 | 40.3 | 5.2% | 22.7% | 8.3% | 1981 | $934 | 28.8% | 97.1% | 2.8% |
| Cataract | 2.82 | 43.4 | 7.2% | 7.7% | 11.1% | 1987 | $1,089 | 24.6% | 94.1% | 3.0% |
| Oil City | 3.09 | 34.5 | 10.6% | 16.7% | 10.6% | 1979 | $839 | 13.6% | 83.8% | 0.4% |
| Middle Ridge | 2.67 | 43.0 | 4.6% | 14.9% | 7.1% | 1980 | $854 | 27.7% | 96.2% | 2.8% |
| Norwalk | 3.01 | 36.0 | 11.0% | 16.8% | 10.0% | 1979 | $901 | 18.1% | 84.6% | 1.1% |
| Mindoro | 2.52 | 45.5 | 3.0% | 4.5% | 13.3% | 1981 | $943 | 23.4% | 96.8% | 2.6% |
| Tunnel City | 2.63 | 44.3 | 5.1% | 22.2% | 6.1% | 1993 | $1,075 | 33.5% | 94.4% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dardenne Prairie, MO · Clio, MI · Commerce, GA · Comstock Park, MI · Coshocton, OH · Country Club Hills, IL · Country Walk, FL · Cranberry Twp, PA · Crowley, LA · Dandridge, TN
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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