Population 508 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Velvet Ridge
Household size in Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.29 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Velvet Ridge run small, averaging 2.45 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.74, 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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.5 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 41.3, the median age in Velvet Ridge is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Arkansas as a whole, where the median age is 39.6.
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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Velvet Ridge: 19.0% 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 Velvet Ridge
Renters in Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.9% of households in Velvet Ridge rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 65.8% 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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +15.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Velvet Ridge: 21.1% 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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1993 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Velvet Ridge is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, 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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $403 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $493 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $586 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $634 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$231 | +$346 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Velvet Ridge costs $634 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.0% of household income on rent, just over 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 Velvet Ridge
Bachelor's degrees in Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Velvet Ridge: 12.5% 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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.2% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.5% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.9% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +18.7 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Velvet Ridge have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Velvet Ridge
| Period | Velvet Ridge | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Velvet Ridge: 11.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 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).
Velvet Ridge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velvet Ridge | 2.45 | 41.3 | 19.0% | 18.9% | 21.1% | 1994 | $634 | 12.5% | 91.9% | 11.1% |
| Twentythree | 2.45 | 43.2 | 18.2% | 22.7% | 19.7% | 1989 | $707 | 11.4% | 91.1% | 8.3% |
| Providence | 2.70 | 35.4 | 14.3% | 28.8% | 8.8% | 1995 | $779 | 8.6% | 90.2% | 4.8% |
| Denmark | 2.44 | 42.6 | 16.9% | 20.4% | 18.1% | 1992 | $713 | 12.4% | 92.2% | 11.3% |
| Russell | 2.60 | 40.5 | 13.4% | 25.3% | 21.0% | 1987 | $471 | 13.4% | 86.0% | 10.6% |
| Bald Knob | 2.45 | 42.9 | 16.4% | 31.8% | 14.9% | 1986 | $799 | 10.6% | 84.1% | 8.9% |
| Bradford | 2.51 | 42.9 | 14.4% | 24.3% | 19.1% | 1987 | $639 | 13.0% | 88.2% | 12.3% |
| Sunnydale | 2.82 | 33.4 | 9.8% | 32.8% | 4.1% | 1996 | $758 | 7.2% | 89.0% | 0.0% |
| Judsonia | 2.70 | 39.9 | 16.8% | 31.0% | 10.3% | 1988 | $885 | 12.2% | 82.7% | 9.5% |
| Pleasant Plains | 2.93 | 32.8 | 11.6% | 23.1% | 15.1% | 1984 | $947 | 7.8% | 94.6% | 3.8% |
| Hickory Flat | 2.80 | 40.5 | 14.5% | 6.6% | 15.5% | 1995 | $758 | 15.3% | 81.6% | 10.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mount Carbon, IL · Price, ND · Preston, VA · Preble, NY · Newell, PA · New Jerusalem, PA · Neosho Rapids, KS · Negangards Corner, IN · Naylor, AR · Mystic Grove, MA
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 Velvet Ridge. 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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