Population 194 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Water Valley
Household size in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.88 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.93 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.42 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Water Valley are small: just 1.93 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. Household size has dropped from 2.34 in 2006–10, 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.4 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 58.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 58.7, Water Valley 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Water Valley: 2.0% 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 Water Valley
Renters in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −12.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Water Valley is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.6%) 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Water Valley: just 3.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Water Valley was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $395 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $678 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $609 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,166 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$771 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Water Valley costs $1,166 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 43.7% of household income on rent, 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 Water Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.0% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.3% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Water Valley than nationally: 42.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.0% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.0% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Water Valley have finished high school as nationally: 88.8%, against 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 Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Water Valley 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).
Water Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Valley | 1.93 | 58.7 | 2.0% | 10.1% | 3.5% | 1978 | $1,166 | 42.2% | 88.8% | 3.5% |
| Saratoga | 2.38 | 48.9 | 2.3% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 1993 | $1,148 | 25.7% | 92.3% | 3.6% |
| Cobden | 2.39 | 46.9 | 11.2% | 21.6% | 15.1% | 1975 | $824 | 20.3% | 84.0% | 5.6% |
| Makanda | 2.45 | 45.1 | 3.7% | 23.9% | 7.5% | 1979 | $887 | 55.3% | 97.0% | 2.2% |
| Lick Creek | 2.55 | 46.4 | 3.2% | 18.2% | 7.8% | 1997 | $1,231 | 24.9% | 92.4% | 3.3% |
| Mountain Glen | 2.75 | 43.7 | 11.3% | 9.0% | 16.8% | 1977 | $729 | 21.0% | 90.4% | 6.2% |
| Anna | 2.31 | 41.8 | 13.7% | 31.7% | 14.2% | 1973 | $678 | 17.3% | 85.7% | 5.1% |
| Elvira | 2.70 | 44.0 | 6.3% | 17.8% | 13.3% | 1992 | $1,082 | 25.3% | 91.5% | 3.5% |
| Alto Pass | 2.67 | 45.4 | 11.1% | 9.9% | 17.5% | 1978 | $728 | 21.4% | 90.8% | 5.9% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.79 | 43.2 | 2.9% | 15.3% | 8.4% | 1994 | $921 | 17.8% | 90.1% | 3.2% |
| Jonesboro | 2.55 | 39.6 | 6.6% | 18.3% | 8.1% | 1971 | $664 | 26.9% | 92.3% | 1.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lookout, CA · Leda, VA · Lenorah, TX · Lewis, MO · Lewisburg, LA · Lick Creek, WV · Lippe, IN · Lisbon, LA · Lisco, NE · Lochiel, IN
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 Water Valley. 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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