Population 11,585 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Bench
Household size in West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.75 | 2.72 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.88 | 2.79 | 2.78 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.75 | 2.76 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.71 | 2.79 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.05 | +0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in West Bench average 2.61 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is smaller than in the Boise area overall, where it has 2.71 people. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.54, even as the national average fell. Only two of Boise's 19 neighborhoods have larger households.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.6 | 34.6 | 35.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.1 | 35.8 | 36.6 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 37.2 | 37.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.3 | 38.4 | 38.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +3.8 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
At 40.3, the median age in West Bench 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 the wider Boise area, where the median age is 38.4. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.6, as it has 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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 10.5% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.4% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 9.5% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in West Bench: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.9 points, a much bigger shift than 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 West Bench
Renters in West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.3% | 29.5% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 31.9% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.1% | 30.3% | 30.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 27.5% | 27.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in West Bench own their homes; 25.8% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About a third of owners (34.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the southwest. The renter share has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 7.9% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 7.2% | 11.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 5.6% | 10.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 5.6% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in West Bench: just 4.8% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. The Boise area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1989 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1989 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1996 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +7 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in West Bench was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the Boise area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1996.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $843 | $884 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $914 | $921 | $820 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,031 | $1,075 | $941 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,672 | $1,700 | $1,407 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$829 | +$815 | +$641 | +$606 |
A typical rental in West Bench costs $1,672 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $829 a month from 2006–10, a 98% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 29.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the north.
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 West Bench
Bachelor's degrees in West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 28.8% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.0% | 30.0% | 25.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 31.6% | 27.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.0% | 36.9% | 31.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +8.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in West Bench as nationally: 37.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southeast.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.1% | 89.5% | 88.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.9% | 90.1% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.1% | 91.7% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in West Bench: 94.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.3 points, as it has nationally. Compared with other Boise neighborhoods, though, West Bench has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 West Bench
| Period | West Bench | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 7.7% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −4.5 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in West Bench has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
West Bench compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bench | 2.61 | 40.3 | 8.2% | 25.8% | 4.8% | 1977 | $1,672 | 37.0% | 94.4% | 2.2% |
| Winstead Park | 2.33 | 36.9 | 6.8% | 47.5% | 7.0% | 1974 | $1,365 | 47.2% | 92.6% | 2.2% |
| West Valley | 2.42 | 44.2 | 12.5% | 23.6% | 3.7% | 1987 | $1,547 | 36.5% | 95.2% | 3.8% |
| Collister | 2.36 | 41.7 | 3.6% | 26.7% | 4.9% | 1985 | $1,412 | 54.2% | 96.4% | 0.9% |
| Veterans Park | 2.19 | 36.6 | 9.3% | 57.2% | 8.0% | 1977 | $1,378 | 45.8% | 94.4% | 3.1% |
| Sunset | 2.48 | 35.7 | 8.0% | 26.0% | 2.7% | 1965 | $1,652 | 63.9% | 92.5% | 1.8% |
| Franklin Randolph | 2.36 | 36.9 | 16.3% | 37.5% | 4.9% | 1975 | $1,293 | 29.3% | 89.1% | 3.3% |
| West Cloverdale | 2.91 | 40.6 | 5.5% | 16.2% | 0.9% | 2002 | $2,047 | 45.2% | 95.8% | 2.2% |
| Northwest | 2.10 | 40.4 | 10.9% | 32.1% | 4.8% | 2004 | $1,602 | 45.0% | 96.6% | 6.1% |
| Central Bench | 2.10 | 36.0 | 15.0% | 56.7% | 7.3% | 1970 | $1,225 | 33.6% | 93.7% | 2.9% |
| North End | 2.07 | 41.1 | 5.4% | 41.4% | 8.1% | 1947 | $1,254 | 61.9% | 98.6% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Adamsville, Atlanta, GA · Avenues West, Milwaukee, WI · Near South, Lincoln, NE · Greater Gardendale, San Antonio, TX · Riverside, Cambridge, MA · Yerdemont, San Bernardino, CA · Schuylerville, Bronx, NY · Seminary, Oakland, CA · Silver Lake, Wilmington, NC · South East, Pasadena, CA
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 West Bench. 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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