Population 108 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Wacker
Household size in Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.10 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.78 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.66 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Wacker is a place of small households, averaging 1.78 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.44, 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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.0 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.6 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 62.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +16.5 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 62.5, Wacker 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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Wacker: 1.7% of 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 Wacker
Renters in Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.4% of households in Wacker rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 55.4% 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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.2% of the housing in Wacker, 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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Wacker was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $444 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $697 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,294 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$850 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Wacker costs $1,294 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 42.0% 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 Wacker
Bachelor's degrees in Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wacker: 12.4% 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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.8% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Wacker never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Wacker
| Period | Wacker | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Wacker than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, 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).
Wacker 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wacker | 1.78 | 62.5 | 1.7% | 19.4% | 22.2% | 1980 | $1,294 | 12.4% | 85.0% | 3.5% |
| Center Hill | 1.81 | 60.8 | 2.8% | 19.1% | 21.8% | 1978 | $1,219 | 14.1% | 86.4% | 3.3% |
| Daggett | 2.10 | 45.3 | 9.0% | 16.4% | 15.0% | 1966 | $786 | 19.7% | 87.2% | 1.4% |
| Thomson | 2.10 | 45.5 | 7.0% | 20.4% | 12.2% | 1970 | $987 | 10.4% | 78.0% | 2.4% |
| Savanna | 1.95 | 49.4 | 11.7% | 34.9% | 15.5% | 1949 | $890 | 14.1% | 87.5% | 2.8% |
| Mount Carroll | 2.13 | 42.6 | 13.9% | 28.2% | 17.4% | 1948 | $744 | 20.7% | 94.0% | 4.2% |
| Hauntown | 3.13 | 32.9 | 15.3% | 19.4% | 10.1% | 1965 | $1,125 | 17.8% | 99.7% | 3.3% |
| Sabula | 2.44 | 42.1 | 8.4% | 21.5% | 25.3% | 1951 | $988 | 8.5% | 95.6% | 3.2% |
| Fair Haven | 2.23 | 43.2 | 8.2% | 17.0% | 9.8% | 1970 | $965 | 14.3% | 81.0% | 0.4% |
| Teeds Grove | 3.01 | 34.4 | 14.0% | 18.4% | 12.1% | 1962 | $1,058 | 17.8% | 98.8% | 3.7% |
| Palsgrove | 2.84 | 38.9 | 7.6% | 12.9% | 26.2% | 1946 | $996 | 21.8% | 90.8% | 12.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Robbs, IL · Museville, VA · Mystic, MO · Nahma, MI · Nash, FL · Nashaquitsa, MA · Neinda, TX · New Britton, NC · New Kingston, NY · Nolia, OK
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 Wacker. 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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