Population 11,934 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spencer
Household size in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.14 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.21 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Spencer is a place of small households, averaging 2.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has crept up from 2.14 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.6 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Spencer skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.5, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.3, in line with the national trend.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Spencer, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Spencer has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Iowa 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 Spencer
Renters in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.4% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Spencer rent their homes (30.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (44.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the center. The renter share has fallen 2.0 points since 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Spencer is close to the national rate: 10.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has risen 1.6 points since 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Spencer is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, 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 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $495 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $625 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $751 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $778 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$283 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Spencer costs $778 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $283 a month from 2006–10, a 57% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 33.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. 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 Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Spencer (29.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 10.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Spencer is a bit above the national rate: 92.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.5 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Spencer than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. 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).
Spencer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | 2.18 | 42.5 | 6.6% | 30.6% | 10.1% | 1967 | $778 | 29.3% | 92.5% | 4.1% |
| Fostoria | 2.40 | 49.1 | 3.4% | 16.4% | 14.9% | 1954 | $820 | 20.5% | 94.6% | 2.1% |
| Dickens | 2.47 | 50.4 | 5.7% | 14.3% | 15.8% | 1957 | $900 | 23.7% | 94.6% | 0.3% |
| Everly | 2.37 | 45.3 | 6.9% | 15.5% | 17.6% | 1953 | $770 | 21.6% | 95.7% | 3.3% |
| Royal | 2.48 | 39.1 | 5.4% | 20.1% | 11.5% | 1941 | $895 | 15.9% | 95.7% | 1.9% |
| Greenville | 2.92 | 38.9 | 1.5% | 7.0% | 22.7% | 1938 | $900 | 26.2% | 93.8% | 0.4% |
| Rossie | 2.52 | 37.2 | 6.0% | 22.2% | 11.3% | 1938 | $895 | 13.8% | 95.5% | 2.2% |
| Gillett Grove | 2.78 | 41.8 | 2.6% | 11.5% | 18.9% | 1943 | $900 | 24.4% | 94.1% | 0.4% |
| Old Town | 2.40 | 46.0 | 4.6% | 6.3% | 10.2% | 1964 | $820 | 34.1% | 98.7% | 2.3% |
| Moneta | 2.71 | 35.1 | 7.4% | 16.0% | 19.0% | 1948 | $860 | 33.9% | 95.7% | 2.7% |
| Milford | 2.07 | 49.3 | 7.1% | 27.8% | 11.0% | 1975 | $899 | 23.4% | 97.0% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Vernon, TX · Crystal Lake, FL · Delavan, WI · Tyngsboro, MA · Upper Grand Lagoon, FL · Urbana, MD · Valley Falls, RI · Venus, TX · Verde Village, AZ · Vermillion, SD
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 Spencer. 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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