Population 43 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Sunshine
Household size in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.08 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.43 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Sunshine is a place of big households: 3.08 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.65 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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.5 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −9.9 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.5, Sunshine is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Sunshine (16.8%), well above 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 Sunshine
Renters in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Sunshine own their homes; 28.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. Among homeowners, 41.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as 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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.7% of the housing in Sunshine, 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.
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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +6 |
Sunshine is a place of older homes: half were built before 1948, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $632 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $518 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $539 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,012 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$380 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sunshine pays $1,012 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Rent takes 22.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Sunshine
Bachelor's degrees in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Sunshine: 17.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.6% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Sunshine never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −11.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sunshine has been low: just 1.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Sunshine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine | 3.08 | 30.5 | 16.8% | 28.9% | 14.7% | 1948 | $1,012 | 17.5% | 83.5% | 1.7% |
| Darbyville | 2.44 | 36.5 | 13.3% | 37.6% | 4.4% | 1966 | $775 | 17.3% | 86.4% | 6.9% |
| Centerville | 2.23 | 44.0 | 10.0% | 40.2% | 14.0% | 1957 | $783 | 19.8% | 89.6% | 3.2% |
| Mystic | 2.36 | 39.0 | 9.4% | 19.8% | 21.1% | 1944 | $686 | 16.2% | 86.6% | 7.2% |
| Forbush | 2.26 | 48.8 | 7.2% | 27.5% | 21.0% | 1973 | $738 | 24.5% | 93.0% | 1.9% |
| Thirty | 2.40 | 43.8 | 9.5% | 26.9% | 13.2% | 1971 | $771 | 22.3% | 89.6% | 4.5% |
| Numa | 3.30 | 28.7 | 17.8% | 24.9% | 14.8% | 1946 | $1,107 | 16.5% | 81.7% | 1.7% |
| Garfield | 2.26 | 41.7 | 8.6% | 17.7% | 23.3% | 1948 | $659 | 17.2% | 87.6% | 7.4% |
| Rathbun | 2.21 | 54.9 | 8.9% | 5.5% | 35.5% | 1986 | $776 | 25.7% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
| Jerome | 3.30 | 28.7 | 17.8% | 24.9% | 14.8% | 1946 | $1,107 | 16.5% | 81.7% | 1.7% |
| Walnut City | 2.19 | 55.5 | 9.1% | 4.5% | 36.8% | 1987 | $780 | 25.7% | 91.8% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jarbidge, NV · Sunny Brae, CA · Sun Prairie, MT · Summit, WV · Summit Grove, IN · Summit City, MO · Sucarnoochee, MS · Strongs Corner, MI · Stanfield, TX · Stainville, 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 Sunshine. 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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