Population 2,374 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Thoreau
Household size in Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.08 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.74 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.99 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.20 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.88 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Thoreau are large by national standards, averaging 3.20 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 4.08, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.5 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
Thoreau skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Thoreau: 24.0% of all 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 Thoreau
Renters in Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.1% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −12.1 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Thoreau is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About eight in ten owners (79.1%) 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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.4% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.8% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −22.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Thoreau: 26.6% of homes are empty, 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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Thoreau is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $414 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $582 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $665 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $774 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$360 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in Thoreau runs $774 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 28.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Thoreau
Bachelor's degrees in Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Thoreau: 16.0% 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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.0% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.3% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 72.4% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.0% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Thoreau never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.0% 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 Thoreau
| Period | Thoreau | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 29.7% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −12.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Thoreau runs well above the national rate: 8.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 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).
Thoreau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thoreau | 3.20 | 42.0 | 24.0% | 17.1% | 26.6% | 1989 | $774 | 16.0% | 75.0% | 8.0% |
| Continental Divide | 3.04 | 37.7 | 22.7% | 10.6% | 15.0% | 1992 | $1,205 | 15.0% | 86.0% | 7.4% |
| Prewitt | 3.25 | 41.8 | 24.5% | 0.7% | 15.0% | 1988 | $576 | 8.4% | 61.4% | 12.5% |
| Smith Lake | 3.35 | 39.0 | 24.2% | 7.7% | 22.5% | 1987 | $628 | 8.7% | 63.0% | 13.9% |
| Coolidge | 3.06 | 35.7 | 20.9% | 9.7% | 23.4% | 1988 | $529 | 8.5% | 68.9% | 14.6% |
| Bluewater | 2.61 | 57.0 | 12.7% | 4.2% | 40.1% | 1989 | $718 | 34.3% | 75.2% | 6.1% |
| Fort Wingate | 3.44 | 32.4 | 25.8% | 25.4% | 25.8% | 1984 | $963 | 19.9% | 77.6% | 14.3% |
| Perea | 3.40 | 33.9 | 24.2% | 38.4% | 22.2% | 1982 | $1,076 | 23.8% | 80.3% | 9.8% |
| Jamestown | 3.02 | 41.4 | 22.9% | 12.3% | 10.5% | 1990 | $1,311 | 20.3% | 91.6% | 0.7% |
| Church Rock | 3.44 | 33.4 | 33.3% | 19.5% | 17.9% | 1990 | $813 | 8.6% | 80.7% | 10.4% |
| Navajo Wingate Village | 3.51 | 33.0 | 32.8% | 23.6% | 16.5% | 1987 | $728 | 4.8% | 82.7% | 11.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Raven, VA · Lincoln Heights, OH · Little Mountain, SC · Brookfield, OH · Magas Arriba, PR · Marlborough, MO · Marshfield Hills, MA · McLouth, KS · Montpelier, IN · Muscoda, 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 Thoreau. 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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