Population 2,101 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wakefield
Household size in Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.03 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.05 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.01 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Wakefield are small: just 2.15 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 climbed from 2.03, 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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.4 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.5 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.6 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Wakefield skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.0% of households in Wakefield, 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 Wakefield
Renters in Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.3% of households in Wakefield rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over six in ten owners (61.9%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 31.6% of the housing in Wakefield, 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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1948 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Wakefield is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $483 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $558 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $562 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $708 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$225 | +$395 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Wakefield costs $708 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 28.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Wakefield
Bachelor's degrees in Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wakefield have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.4%, 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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.8% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.1% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.3 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Wakefield: 98.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well 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 Wakefield
| Period | Wakefield | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wakefield has been low: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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).
Wakefield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 2.15 | 50.6 | 5.0% | 12.3% | 31.6% | 1954 | $708 | 16.4% | 98.1% | 2.5% |
| Thomaston | 2.20 | 52.8 | 3.4% | 10.8% | 44.0% | 1961 | $829 | 16.1% | 99.4% | 1.4% |
| Ramsay | 2.21 | 42.9 | 4.4% | 24.6% | 24.4% | 1951 | $539 | 15.2% | 96.3% | 5.0% |
| Bessemer | 2.06 | 49.0 | 8.0% | 22.1% | 31.5% | 1951 | $710 | 21.0% | 97.0% | 6.6% |
| Hillcrest | 2.05 | 51.9 | 13.4% | 21.1% | 38.3% | 1973 | $643 | 22.4% | 97.0% | 5.6% |
| Hautala Corner | 2.06 | 55.2 | 7.6% | 8.6% | 35.6% | 1968 | $641 | 30.9% | 98.8% | 3.3% |
| Ironwood | 2.00 | 47.2 | 9.8% | 23.2% | 21.9% | 1948 | $632 | 25.0% | 94.4% | 9.6% |
| Hurley | 1.92 | 50.5 | 7.2% | 19.7% | 25.5% | 1957 | $756 | 21.9% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Van Buskirk | 1.94 | 59.3 | 6.9% | 8.9% | 51.4% | 1979 | $587 | 32.1% | 93.8% | 1.6% |
| Marenisco | 2.08 | 58.4 | 2.8% | 6.8% | 38.0% | 1961 | $787 | 22.5% | 96.9% | 3.3% |
| Auvinen Corner | 1.89 | 62.3 | 5.7% | 3.6% | 40.7% | 1967 | $640 | 29.7% | 99.8% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Laymantown, VA · Germantown, IL · Gilmanton, NH · Winfield, TN · Hartley, IA · Hurstbourne Acres, KY · Interlaken, NY · West Yellowstone, MT · Jefferson, ME · Kingston, MI
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 Wakefield. 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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