Population 313 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Spencer
Household size in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.51 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Spencer run a little small, averaging 2.51 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across South Dakota. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.3 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.0 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Spencer skews older: half of its residents are older than 54.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.0% of households in Spencer, 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 Spencer
Renters in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Spencer is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over half of owners (51.9%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Spencer than nationally: 6.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +9 | +6 |
The housing in Spencer is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $595 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $632 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $693 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,091 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$497 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Spencer runs $1,091 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in South Dakota overall ($1,000). The typical renter here spends 28.5% 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 Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.4% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.3 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Spencer as nationally: 33.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.0% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.5% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.0% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Spencer: 95.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.8% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.8% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Spencer has been strong: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. The picture is much the same across South Dakota. 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).
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 | 2.51 | 54.3 | 2.0% | 8.6% | 6.5% | 1965 | $1,091 | 33.4% | 95.0% | 3.3% |
| Farmer | 3.04 | 35.3 | 6.4% | 10.8% | 16.5% | 1952 | $808 | 22.8% | 94.9% | 1.2% |
| Salem | 2.31 | 42.0 | 5.4% | 26.0% | 14.4% | 1974 | $984 | 27.6% | 92.4% | 1.2% |
| Emery | 2.95 | 35.4 | 6.5% | 12.2% | 17.8% | 1954 | $758 | 28.8% | 97.2% | 0.5% |
| Unityville | 2.47 | 55.8 | 2.2% | 7.7% | 5.9% | 1965 | $1,012 | 29.5% | 95.2% | 2.9% |
| Epiphany | 2.91 | 41.3 | 4.9% | 7.4% | 13.3% | 1952 | $771 | 18.3% | 95.9% | 1.0% |
| Alexandria | 2.98 | 39.3 | 2.4% | 10.9% | 9.4% | 1966 | $791 | 25.7% | 94.5% | 1.2% |
| Bridgewater | 2.50 | 36.1 | 7.3% | 22.7% | 11.0% | 1961 | $798 | 27.0% | 95.1% | 2.2% |
| Canova | 2.74 | 49.0 | 3.2% | 2.4% | 10.1% | 1951 | $656 | 12.5% | 99.0% | 0.1% |
| Fulton | 3.06 | 39.0 | 4.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 1954 | $1,029 | 16.5% | 88.6% | 3.9% |
| Stanley Corner | 2.79 | 35.8 | 2.0% | 13.9% | 13.4% | 1966 | $1,373 | 47.5% | 97.4% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Reynoldsdale, PA · Morrison, IA · Morse, TX · Morton Valley, TX · Mortonsville, KY · Mount Braddock, PA · Red Cliff, CO · Red Lake, TX · Redfield, NY · Regent, ND
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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