Population 7,498 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Union Park
Household size in Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.77 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Union Park holds 2.77 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.73, even as the national average fell. Of Des Moines' 22 neighborhoods, only two have larger households.
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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.6 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.8 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.9 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Union Park is young: half of its residents are under 33.9, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 31.0, as it has 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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Union Park: 16.5% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has barely moved since 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 Union Park
Renters in Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.4% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.2% of households in Union Park rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 23.4% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 8.2 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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Union Park than nationally: 7.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has edged up 1.5 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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Union Park 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. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $848 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,004 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,024 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,320 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$472 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Union Park runs $1,320 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are higher than in the Des Moines area overall ($1,210). Rents are up $472 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 41.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Union Park
Bachelor's degrees in Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Union Park have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.9%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged down 0.6 points, 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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.1% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.9% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.2% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Union Park never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Union Park
| Period | Union Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Union Park is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole (4.5%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.0 points, in line with the national trend.
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).
Union Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Park | 2.77 | 33.9 | 16.5% | 20.2% | 7.1% | 1946 | $1,320 | 15.9% | 80.2% | 5.6% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
| Capitol Park | 3.14 | 36.6 | 26.8% | 39.3% | 11.2% | 1945 | $1,084 | 15.1% | 80.5% | 8.6% |
| River Bend | 2.73 | 35.7 | 22.1% | 49.2% | 17.9% | 1944 | $934 | 9.9% | 69.0% | 4.5% |
| Oak Park | 2.24 | 39.9 | 24.5% | 20.5% | 9.4% | 1943 | $1,207 | 24.1% | 85.7% | 1.6% |
| Fairmont Park | 2.41 | 37.8 | 13.5% | 31.9% | 11.8% | 1954 | $1,248 | 13.3% | 89.4% | 5.8% |
| Fairground | 2.74 | 33.4 | 18.6% | 19.6% | 10.2% | 1940 | $1,117 | 14.8% | 78.5% | 8.1% |
| Accent | 2.76 | 38.8 | 15.0% | 18.6% | 4.2% | 1952 | $1,193 | 12.5% | 84.2% | 11.7% |
| Downtown Des Moines | 1.34 | 28.0 | 7.7% | 90.5% | 12.6% | 1985 | $1,283 | 67.0% | 94.4% | 4.0% |
| Douglas Acres | 2.64 | 36.8 | 17.1% | 38.7% | 6.1% | 1971 | $1,179 | 17.5% | 85.9% | 6.3% |
| Drake | 2.21 | 28.2 | 10.4% | 55.9% | 9.2% | 1944 | $1,140 | 38.4% | 87.5% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Agua Fria, El Mirage, AZ · Yorkfield, Elmhurst, IL · Wickham, Coralville, IA · West University, Tucson, AZ · Vintage, Napa, CA · Urbanizacion Sierra Bayamon, Bayamon, PR · Upper Boggy Creek, Austin, TX · University Park, Portland, OR · Totem Lake, Kirkland, WA · Southwest Area, Cedar Rapids, IA
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 Union Park. 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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