Population 126,988 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Springfield: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Springfield
Household size in Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.23 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Springfield is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.28 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 37 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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Springfield is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.0 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the south.
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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Springfield as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Illinois as a whole (11.3%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Springfield
Renters in Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.6% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Springfield rent their homes (34.6%), close to the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (45.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast.
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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Springfield: 11.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 1.5 points, 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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Springfield 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 picture is much the same across Illinois. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center 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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $740 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $792 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $879 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,087 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$347 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Springfield runs $1,087 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $347 a month from 2006–10, a 47% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest 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 Springfield
Bachelor's degrees in Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.0% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Springfield (34.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast.
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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.1% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.9% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Springfield is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Springfield
| Period | Springfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Springfield runs well above the national rate: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.6 points, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Springfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | 2.25 | 41.7 | 12.4% | 34.6% | 11.6% | 1970 | $1,087 | 34.8% | 93.0% | 7.4% |
| Leland Grove | 2.31 | 49.1 | 6.0% | 11.5% | 6.1% | 1958 | $1,743 | 69.5% | 99.1% | 2.7% |
| Jerome | 2.06 | 32.7 | 22.4% | 39.7% | 9.7% | 1961 | $891 | 28.3% | 92.3% | 5.0% |
| Southern View | 2.05 | 45.5 | 8.8% | 36.1% | 7.3% | 1962 | $1,178 | 24.8% | 91.0% | 5.2% |
| Archer | 2.29 | 43.6 | 6.5% | 3.9% | 10.7% | 1974 | $738 | 27.7% | 92.4% | 2.7% |
| Bradfordton | 2.32 | 46.2 | 4.1% | 9.5% | 4.8% | 1983 | $903 | 54.6% | 97.6% | 6.6% |
| Clear Lake | 2.67 | 34.7 | 25.2% | 31.4% | 7.5% | 1983 | $988 | 23.4% | 95.2% | 5.5% |
| Devereux Heights | 1.87 | 54.4 | 4.9% | 27.9% | 10.3% | 1974 | $1,031 | 19.8% | 97.2% | 8.7% |
| Bissell | 2.23 | 48.7 | 9.2% | 9.8% | 8.2% | 1991 | $940 | 29.7% | 89.5% | 4.0% |
| Curran | 2.48 | 43.5 | 5.1% | 18.3% | 4.4% | 1989 | $977 | 36.0% | 96.0% | 1.3% |
| Green Acres | 2.64 | 49.3 | 6.5% | 7.5% | 4.9% | 1982 | $1,144 | 28.4% | 96.6% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mount Pleasant, SC · Mount Vernon, NY · Muskegon, MI · Mountain View, CA · Lithonia, GA · Las Vegas, NV · Leander, TX · Lees Summit, MO · Littleton, CO · Las Cruces, NM
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 Springfield. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.