Population 946 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wataga
Household size in Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Wataga are small: just 2.17 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 2.32, 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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Wataga is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.9, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Wataga (9.8%), a little 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 Wataga
Renters in Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Wataga is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.4%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Wataga is close to the national rate: 9.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Wataga is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Illinois.
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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $500 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $530 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $556 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $640 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$140 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Wataga runs $640 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 21.3% of household income on rent, comfortably 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 Wataga
Bachelor's degrees in Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wataga: 15.3% 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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Wataga have finished high school (92.6%), 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 Wataga
| Period | Wataga | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Wataga has been strong: just 2.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Wataga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wataga | 2.17 | 37.9 | 9.8% | 22.4% | 9.2% | 1966 | $640 | 15.3% | 92.6% | 2.1% |
| Henderson | 2.22 | 51.4 | 4.6% | 16.2% | 11.2% | 1958 | $670 | 21.1% | 88.9% | 2.7% |
| Oneida | 2.73 | 43.8 | 7.2% | 14.5% | 3.8% | 1952 | $819 | 26.7% | 96.2% | 6.0% |
| East Galesburg | 2.26 | 41.0 | 11.6% | 42.2% | 8.1% | 1972 | $924 | 28.2% | 94.6% | 7.8% |
| Galesburg | 2.09 | 42.2 | 12.4% | 35.9% | 13.0% | 1959 | $854 | 20.7% | 87.8% | 4.4% |
| Henderson Grove | 2.21 | 49.9 | 4.9% | 23.1% | 11.5% | 1979 | $712 | 21.8% | 93.4% | 3.3% |
| Rio | 2.84 | 34.7 | 4.5% | 10.5% | 17.6% | 1944 | $752 | 27.5% | 96.5% | 4.3% |
| Knoxville | 2.23 | 45.4 | 8.8% | 13.2% | 8.4% | 1967 | $670 | 24.0% | 96.9% | 4.4% |
| Altona | 2.35 | 51.2 | 4.2% | 6.8% | 17.4% | 1949 | $908 | 18.0% | 91.6% | 13.9% |
| Dahinda | 2.27 | 54.6 | 4.0% | 4.9% | 28.2% | 1990 | $658 | 30.9% | 94.9% | 0.9% |
| Victoria | 2.03 | 50.0 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 33.5% | 1942 | $770 | 18.2% | 97.8% | 8.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rosedale, VA · Melbourne, IA · Merry, AL · Millington, IL · Milnor, ND · Monroe Center, IL · Montour, IA · Montrose, AR · Ovilla, TN · Red Cloud, NE
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 Wataga. 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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