Population 7,320 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in The Bush
Household size in The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.23 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.27 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.80 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.44 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The typical household in The Bush holds 2.80 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.23, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the west.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.2 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.7 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.2 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.5 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.3 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The Bush is young: half of its residents are under 32.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 26.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few Chicago neighborhoods are younger: only four of 135.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 32.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 30.8% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about three in ten households in The Bush (30.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as the national share fell. Of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods, only two have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 The Bush
Renters in The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.0% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 73.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 68.2% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 61.2% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in The Bush rent: 61.2% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. More than half of owners (53.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 9.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.1% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.5% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.3% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.4% of the housing in The Bush, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in The Bush is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1946, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1942 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $657 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $773 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $789 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $900 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in The Bush pays $900 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $243 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 40.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; 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 The Bush
Bachelor's degrees in The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in The Bush have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.8 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the west.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.5% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.1% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.1% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 74.0% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults in The Bush never finished high school, well above the national share: only 74.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 10.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. The Bush has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Chicago neighborhoods.
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 The Bush
| Period | The Bush | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in The Bush: 12.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
The Bush compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bush | 2.80 | 32.5 | 30.8% | 61.2% | 22.4% | 1946 | $900 | 14.1% | 74.0% | 12.6% |
| South Chicago | 2.60 | 44.9 | 19.8% | 61.0% | 17.8% | 1945 | $857 | 18.6% | 78.7% | 15.0% |
| Cheltenham | 2.67 | 41.3 | 23.2% | 53.2% | 18.0% | 1940 | $1,110 | 19.5% | 87.7% | 17.7% |
| Pill Hill | 2.02 | 51.5 | 16.2% | 26.0% | 9.6% | 1954 | $1,011 | 34.2% | 95.8% | 10.4% |
| Windsor Park | 2.23 | 38.8 | 24.3% | 81.3% | 20.4% | 1946 | $1,095 | 24.3% | 86.8% | 15.7% |
| Calumet Heights | 2.04 | 48.7 | 16.4% | 30.0% | 7.3% | 1952 | $1,135 | 38.1% | 93.6% | 13.1% |
| South Deering | 2.45 | 45.2 | 14.4% | 46.5% | 14.7% | 1944 | $1,159 | 14.9% | 83.9% | 13.9% |
| Avalon Park | 2.34 | 46.5 | 23.3% | 33.7% | 18.4% | 1946 | $1,068 | 34.5% | 92.9% | 13.0% |
| South Shore | 2.12 | 39.3 | 22.6% | 72.1% | 11.0% | 1948 | $1,127 | 25.5% | 88.7% | 15.1% |
| Essex | 2.13 | 40.8 | 21.3% | 58.3% | 18.0% | 1957 | $1,220 | 24.0% | 87.8% | 14.2% |
| East Side | 3.09 | 35.2 | 19.5% | 35.2% | 8.2% | 1946 | $1,136 | 16.3% | 76.6% | 10.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Townsite, Henderson, NV · Crossroads, Bellevue, WA · Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, FL · Downtown Turlock, Turlock, CA · East Erie, Erie, PA · Gardenside-Colony, Lexington, KY · Matthews Beach, Seattle, WA · Meadowbrook, Augusta, GA · The Arts District, Honolulu, HI · Avondale, Cincinnati, OH
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 The Bush. 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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