Population 1,610 · 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 Swords Creek: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Swords Creek
Household size in Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Swords Creek are small: just 2.39 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.8 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.4, Swords Creek is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.7, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Swords Creek: 4.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Swords Creek
Renters in Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.5% of households in Swords Creek rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (67.8%) 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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.9% of the housing in Swords Creek, 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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Swords Creek are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1984.
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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $393 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $597 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $570 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $707 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$314 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Swords Creek runs $707 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 16.0% 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 Swords Creek
Bachelor's degrees in Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Swords Creek: 7.7% 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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.1% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.4% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 71.1% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults in Swords Creek never finished high school, well above the national share: only 71.1% 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 Swords Creek
| Period | Swords Creek | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Swords Creek is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Virginia overall (4.3%). 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).
Swords Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swords Creek | 2.39 | 49.4 | 4.7% | 16.5% | 17.9% | 1980 | $707 | 7.7% | 71.1% | 6.0% |
| Lynn Spring | 2.65 | 45.3 | 14.2% | 14.4% | 36.5% | 1974 | $664 | 12.9% | 65.3% | 2.9% |
| Raven | 2.44 | 47.9 | 9.9% | 22.9% | 27.6% | 1979 | $714 | 25.0% | 83.4% | 7.0% |
| Gardner | 2.37 | 51.6 | 3.3% | 2.3% | 20.5% | 1978 | $899 | 7.2% | 88.3% | 2.1% |
| Honaker | 2.40 | 46.3 | 8.7% | 22.4% | 12.6% | 1978 | $652 | 9.5% | 76.0% | 6.1% |
| Vandyke | 2.58 | 43.6 | 11.9% | 5.6% | 39.7% | 1977 | $698 | 29.0% | 77.2% | 0.5% |
| Doran | 2.04 | 45.7 | 26.4% | 16.2% | 27.7% | 1962 | $873 | 16.1% | 72.8% | 10.8% |
| Richlands | 2.32 | 45.9 | 9.6% | 34.4% | 17.1% | 1974 | $843 | 12.5% | 85.0% | 5.7% |
| Russell | 2.24 | 58.2 | 5.7% | 15.0% | 21.0% | 1980 | $633 | 16.5% | 67.8% | 9.6% |
| Hubbard Junction | 2.17 | 53.5 | 10.2% | 6.6% | 17.0% | 1979 | $754 | 11.1% | 84.1% | 2.8% |
| Red Ash | 2.57 | 43.1 | 19.1% | 12.2% | 34.4% | 1979 | $758 | 29.3% | 85.1% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jewett, OH · Sidney, IA · Oxford, IN · Orrick, MO · Ness City, KS · Mechanicsville, IA · Mapleton, IA · Maple, OK · Laurens, IA · Laona, WI
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 Swords Creek. 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.