Population 8,307 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Vandalia
Household size in Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Vandalia run small, averaging 2.46 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.65 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the south.
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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Vandalia is 42.1 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the west.
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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Vandalia than nationally: 13.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Vandalia
Renters in Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.6% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Vandalia rent their homes (27.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (45.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is down 5.1 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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Vandalia than nationally: 12.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.1 points, 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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Vandalia is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, 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 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $612 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $651 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $682 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $852 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$240 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Vandalia pays $852 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $240 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.6% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Vandalia
Bachelor's degrees in Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Vandalia: 18.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged down 1.1 points, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest.
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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.9% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.7% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Vandalia never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.7 points, in line with the national trend. Vandalia has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Vandalia
| Period | Vandalia | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Vandalia runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Vandalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandalia | 2.46 | 42.1 | 13.4% | 27.0% | 12.7% | 1967 | $852 | 18.8% | 86.7% | 4.6% |
| Shafter | 2.98 | 43.5 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 3.6% | 1982 | $1,030 | 29.7% | 91.9% | 1.5% |
| Shobonier | 2.66 | 40.5 | 4.2% | 11.9% | 14.8% | 1977 | $791 | 10.9% | 80.5% | 3.0% |
| Hagarstown | 2.73 | 40.3 | 8.5% | 18.0% | 11.7% | 1978 | $780 | 11.1% | 76.6% | 0.8% |
| Brownstown | 2.75 | 39.7 | 16.7% | 29.7% | 18.1% | 1968 | $875 | 5.4% | 79.2% | 3.8% |
| Confidence | 2.47 | 35.3 | 9.1% | 5.9% | 10.2% | 1978 | $879 | 10.5% | 91.5% | 0.4% |
| Mulberry Grove | 2.52 | 41.0 | 7.9% | 16.9% | 20.2% | 1975 | $951 | 14.5% | 93.7% | 3.4% |
| Van Burensburg | 2.69 | 43.8 | 5.9% | 11.4% | 5.8% | 1969 | $834 | 19.2% | 90.2% | 3.5% |
| Bingham | 3.29 | 38.7 | 10.0% | 11.3% | 5.4% | 1975 | $970 | 13.9% | 86.4% | 4.0% |
| Ramsey | 3.03 | 34.7 | 11.7% | 15.4% | 7.5% | 1969 | $824 | 10.7% | 81.4% | 3.5% |
| Pleasant Mound | 2.28 | 51.4 | 6.9% | 8.5% | 7.1% | 1987 | $852 | 21.1% | 93.4% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Edward, NY · Stafford Springs, CT · St. Stephens, NC · St. Pete Beach, FL · St. Francis, WI · South Beloit, IL · Grinnell, IA · Greenwell Springs, LA · Four Corners, MD · Fortson, GA
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 Vandalia. 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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