Population 1,110 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Van Lear
Household size in Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.52 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Van Lear are small: just 2.21 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 has dropped from 2.73 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.7 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.0, Van Lear is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −13.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.3% of households in Van Lear, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Van Lear
Renters in Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.8% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Van Lear rent their homes (26.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 56.5% have no mortgage at all, 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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.0% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +13.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.0% of the housing in Van Lear, 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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Van Lear are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $525 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $730 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $751 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $785 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$259 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Van Lear costs $785 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 24.0% 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 Van Lear
Bachelor's degrees in Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.5% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Van Lear have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.3% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 74.3% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Van Lear never finished high school, well above the national share: only 74.3% 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 Van Lear
| Period | Van Lear | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Van Lear than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Van Lear 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Lear | 2.21 | 46.0 | 3.3% | 26.8% | 21.0% | 1982 | $785 | 22.5% | 74.3% | 3.4% |
| Meally | 2.24 | 49.8 | 7.9% | 10.9% | 22.0% | 1983 | $756 | 24.0% | 94.2% | 0.0% |
| Auxier | 2.60 | 47.5 | 26.8% | 27.1% | 20.0% | 1981 | $634 | 23.4% | 90.3% | 0.4% |
| West Van Lear | 2.41 | 36.7 | 3.0% | 12.0% | 13.1% | 1982 | $779 | 20.2% | 91.6% | 1.0% |
| East Point | 2.34 | 43.0 | 15.9% | 18.2% | 11.2% | 1990 | $666 | 16.7% | 86.3% | 7.2% |
| Williamsport | 2.59 | 46.1 | 12.4% | 5.4% | 11.8% | 1985 | $728 | 17.3% | 86.1% | 0.0% |
| Thelma | 2.69 | 34.1 | 16.1% | 32.8% | 12.5% | 1991 | $708 | 19.6% | 88.8% | 0.0% |
| Collista | 2.23 | 46.5 | 23.5% | 43.0% | 27.2% | 1971 | $680 | 14.9% | 81.0% | 2.3% |
| Paintsville | 2.30 | 45.0 | 13.0% | 46.6% | 20.1% | 1976 | $728 | 18.0% | 85.9% | 3.9% |
| Hagerhill | 2.27 | 44.5 | 12.0% | 33.4% | 15.4% | 1981 | $688 | 11.0% | 82.1% | 5.9% |
| Lancer | 1.90 | 51.7 | 8.1% | 29.4% | 8.6% | 1984 | $754 | 23.6% | 86.9% | 0.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Almena, WI · Yettem, CA · Woodbranch, TX · Windham, NY · Wilbur, WA · Wenona, IL · Watersmeet, MI · Van Etten, NY · Ursa, IL · Truby, TX
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 Van Lear. 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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