Population 4,068 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in VCU
Household size in VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.92 | 2.58 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.02 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.16 | 2.63 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.69 | 2.54 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in VCU are small: just 1.69 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 1.92, 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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1 | 38.2 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 19.3 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 19.2 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 19.5 | 39.6 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 19.5, VCU is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Only one other Richmond neighborhood is younger.
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 12.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 12.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 0.5% | 11.3% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in VCU (8.6%), 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 VCU
Renters in VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.2% | 31.5% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 78.8% | 33.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 78.6% | 34.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 84.3% | 33.0% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in VCU: 84.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 43.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the north.
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.1% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −23.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in VCU: 16.0% 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. Of Richmond's 20 neighborhoods, only two have a higher vacancy rate.
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1979 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1980 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1984 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −18 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in VCU 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. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the north has the oldest housing. VCU has older homes than at least four in five Richmond neighborhoods.
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $749 | $1,006 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,131 | $1,097 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,327 | $1,248 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,435 | $1,608 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$686 | +$602 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in VCU pays $1,435 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 51.0% 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 VCU
Bachelor's degrees in VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.7% | 33.0% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 68.4% | 34.4% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 63.4% | 38.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.1% | 41.0% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −14.7 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in VCU: 57.1% 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. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.1% | 86.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.0% | 88.1% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 90.0% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 92.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in VCU have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Richmond area overall (92.3%).
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 VCU
| Period | VCU | Richmond area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.3% | 7.1% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 34.5% | 8.2% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 4.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in VCU runs well above the national rate: 24.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. No other Richmond neighborhood has higher unemployment. 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).
VCU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCU | 1.69 | 19.5 | 8.6% | 84.3% | 16.0% | 1946 | $1,435 | 57.1% | 90.7% | 24.9% |
| Monroe Ward | 1.66 | 25.6 | 8.2% | 99.9% | 15.3% | 1969 | $1,281 | 44.1% | 97.5% | 9.3% |
| Carver-Richmond | 2.13 | 25.7 | 7.5% | 83.0% | 10.8% | 1975 | $1,590 | 40.2% | 94.5% | 8.2% |
| The Fan | 1.86 | 33.2 | 5.9% | 59.7% | 7.3% | 1940 | $1,574 | 73.5% | 96.2% | 3.0% |
| Old Town Manchester | 1.35 | 30.1 | 17.7% | 94.5% | 10.0% | 2005 | $1,572 | 68.8% | 98.2% | 0.6% |
| The Museum District | 1.87 | 35.9 | 5.3% | 66.6% | 4.3% | 1939 | $1,471 | 72.4% | 96.2% | 3.3% |
| Shockoe Bottom | 1.51 | 31.1 | 2.6% | 92.1% | 19.2% | 1950 | $1,436 | 61.8% | 93.4% | 1.3% |
| Church Hill | 1.96 | 34.1 | 7.3% | 57.7% | 12.1% | 1954 | $1,439 | 62.0% | 95.7% | 3.0% |
| Swansboro | 2.62 | 29.9 | 23.1% | 51.3% | 8.0% | 1956 | $858 | 34.0% | 77.9% | 3.3% |
| Reedy Creek | 2.64 | 37.9 | 17.0% | 29.8% | 6.1% | 1949 | $1,148 | 36.0% | 85.1% | 4.6% |
| Creighton | 2.57 | 29.6 | 32.0% | 64.5% | 11.3% | 1966 | $845 | 24.4% | 91.7% | 21.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Allendale-Lakeside, Shreveport, LA · Zenith, Des Moines, WA · Windom, Minneapolis, MN · Whitehouse, Jacksonville, FL · Westgate Vecinos, Albuquerque, NM · West Walnut, Allentown, PA · Wesconnett, Jacksonville, FL · Chapel Hill Village, Indianapolis, IN · Camden, Salisbury, MD · Burlingame Gate, Burlingame, CA
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 VCU. 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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