Population 5,307 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in The Islands
Household size in The Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 3.07 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 3.18 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.75 | 3.17 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.95 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.12 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
The Islands is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.56 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2 | 32.1 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.6 | 33.4 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 34.7 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.4 | 36.2 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +4.1 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
The Islands skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 41.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 12.4% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 11.1% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 10.8% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in The Islands (9.0%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as 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 The Islands
Renters in The Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.9% | 24.2% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 28.9% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.7% | 26.8% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 27.6% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | +3.4 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
The Islands is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 32.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 4.5 points since 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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 9.7% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 8.1% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 5.9% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 5.2% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −4.4 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.3% of homes in The Islands are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy is down 3.8 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1998 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1992 | 1999 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 2001 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 2003 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in The Islands is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1992, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Even so, homes here are older than in Gilbert as a whole, where the median home dates to 2003.
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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,255 | $1,324 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,153 | $1,425 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,649 | $1,726 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,730 | $2,299 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,475 | +$976 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
The median renter in The Islands pays $2,730 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,475 a month since 2006–10, up 117%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 24.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the north.
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 Islands
Bachelor's degrees in The Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.7% | 39.2% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.4% | 40.3% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.4% | 44.2% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 47.6% | 48.6% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in The Islands: 47.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has fallen 3.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.4% | 95.2% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 95.5% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 96.2% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.3% | 96.4% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.2 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in The Islands: 95.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Gilbert as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Islands
| Period | The Islands | Gilbert | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 5.8% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 6.7% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 3.9% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in The Islands than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.6 points, mirroring the country. 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 Islands 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 Islands | 2.38 | 44.4 | 9.0% | 19.4% | 3.3% | 1992 | $2,730 | 47.6% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
| Heritage District | 2.31 | 34.3 | 7.4% | 50.2% | 5.3% | 1992 | $1,758 | 36.6% | 90.9% | 1.7% |
| Downtown Chandler | 1.88 | 37.6 | 8.9% | 85.1% | 8.9% | 1989 | $1,410 | 37.6% | 86.7% | 1.7% |
| Southwest Mesa | 2.39 | 35.3 | 13.2% | 50.9% | 8.6% | 1981 | $1,675 | 32.6% | 91.6% | 4.4% |
| West Central | 2.97 | 32.8 | 23.0% | 59.3% | 7.7% | 1979 | $1,504 | 17.5% | 77.5% | 5.6% |
| Clemente Ranch | 2.58 | 41.0 | 3.6% | 21.8% | 2.0% | 2002 | $2,408 | 60.3% | 99.3% | 1.0% |
| Central Mesa | 2.71 | 38.9 | 13.6% | 35.5% | 7.9% | 1985 | $1,715 | 30.5% | 92.3% | 4.5% |
| San Tan Ranch | 3.23 | 36.9 | 15.1% | 30.0% | 3.5% | 2004 | $2,371 | 43.8% | 98.3% | 6.0% |
| Meyer Park | 2.29 | 33.8 | 6.2% | 43.9% | 9.3% | 1975 | $1,721 | 45.6% | 98.6% | 4.7% |
| Escalante | 2.60 | 32.4 | 3.1% | 55.2% | 5.9% | 1991 | $1,832 | 41.9% | 79.7% | 6.6% |
| Hohokam Village | 2.60 | 31.4 | 25.1% | 54.7% | 8.8% | 1983 | $1,687 | 32.5% | 89.8% | 13.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Arlington South, Riverside, CA · Barnum, Denver, CO · Riverchase Country Club, Hoover, AL · North, Helena, MT · Northeast, Kansas City, KS · Olive Drive Area, Bakersfield, CA · Oxford, Fort Wayne, IN · Park Duvalle, Louisville, KY · Pear Orchard, Beaumont, TX · Pulaski Park, Hammond, IN
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 Islands. 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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