Population 15,408 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Swansea
Household size in Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Swansea run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.42, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.6 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 40.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Swansea are younger than 40.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 44.2, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the east.
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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Swansea than nationally: 9.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Swansea
Renters in Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 28.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.2% | 31.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Swansea own their homes; 26.7% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly four in ten owners (38.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. The renter share is up 5.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Swansea: 7.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the St. Louis area. Vacancy has risen 2.9 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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Swansea is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1988, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $875 | $825 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,177 | $920 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,031 | $1,010 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,241 | $1,239 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$366 | +$414 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Swansea runs $1,241 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $366 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the southwest.
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 Swansea
Bachelor's degrees in Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4% | 30.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.4% | 32.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 34.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Swansea (40.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.8 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.6% | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.5% | 90.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.9% | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.6% | 93.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Swansea: 96.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.9 points, mirroring the country. Swansea has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Swansea
| Period | Swansea | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Swansea than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 0.5 points, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Swansea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swansea | 2.47 | 40.9 | 9.0% | 26.7% | 7.9% | 1988 | $1,241 | 40.3% | 96.6% | 6.3% |
| Belleville | 2.36 | 40.8 | 14.5% | 33.8% | 10.8% | 1967 | $1,105 | 29.9% | 94.3% | 5.0% |
| Fairview Heights | 2.40 | 39.7 | 13.4% | 32.2% | 12.2% | 1975 | $1,224 | 34.5% | 92.7% | 5.8% |
| Shiloh | 2.46 | 42.2 | 10.3% | 37.4% | 5.5% | 1997 | $1,367 | 41.9% | 97.2% | 2.4% |
| O'Fallon | 2.63 | 39.9 | 11.7% | 30.6% | 6.6% | 1994 | $1,554 | 50.8% | 97.4% | 3.4% |
| Caseyville | 2.85 | 44.0 | 6.6% | 19.9% | 10.7% | 1981 | $1,409 | 33.0% | 91.6% | 5.5% |
| Scott AFB | 3.01 | 29.7 | 12.2% | 96.1% | 4.1% | 1987 | $1,650 | 36.7% | 99.0% | 3.7% |
| Centreville | 2.81 | 36.5 | 24.2% | 47.9% | 29.3% | 1962 | $973 | 16.7% | 85.3% | 16.0% |
| Alorton | 2.27 | 42.5 | 25.8% | 54.0% | 26.4% | 1981 | $645 | 8.4% | 73.3% | 6.4% |
| Scott Air Force Base | 3.98 | 22.5 | 10.8% | 81.1% | 2.2% | 2006 | $1,764 | 67.2% | 99.2% | 0.6% |
| Washington Park | 2.55 | 33.2 | 12.6% | 18.3% | 33.2% | 1966 | $771 | 9.4% | 77.7% | 14.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Aguas Buenas, PR · Silver City, NM · Taylorville, IL · Selma, NC · Smithfield, VA · Mount Clemens, MI · Moore, SC · Mount Kisco, NY · Mount Pleasant, PA · Naguabo, PR
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 Swansea. 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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