Population 4,005 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Central
Household size in West Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.24 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.27 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.11 | 2.18 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.10 | 2.25 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
West Central is a place of small households, averaging 2.10 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3 | 36.8 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.0 | 37.2 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.6 | 37.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.7 | 38.2 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.3 | +1.4 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
West Central is young: half of its residents are under 32.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 26.3 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 10.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 10.4% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 9.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in West Central (15.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. West Central has a higher share of single-parent households than most Springfield neighborhoods.
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 Central
Renters in West Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.6% | 42.4% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 72.9% | 45.2% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.9% | 49.3% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 72.5% | 47.5% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +5.1 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in West Central: 72.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over half of owners (52.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Only two of Springfield's 23 neighborhoods have a higher share of renters.
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 8.5% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 9.2% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 7.3% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 7.3% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in West Central is close to the national rate: 10.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Springfield overall (7.3%).
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1976 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1950 | 1977 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1980 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1951 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
West Central is a place of older homes: half were built before 1951, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. West Central has older homes than the great majority of Springfield neighborhoods.
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $572 | $682 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $553 | $753 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $689 | $830 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $905 | $1,070 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$333 | +$387 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in West Central costs $905 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. West Central has lower rents than the great majority of Springfield neighborhoods.
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 Central
Bachelor's degrees in West Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 28.5% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 29.5% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 30.7% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.6% | 33.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in West Central have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.6%, 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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.1% | 88.2% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.9% | 89.8% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.8% | 91.5% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.7% | 93.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +5.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in West Central never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. West Central has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Springfield neighborhoods.
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 Central
| Period | West Central | Springfield | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −3.3 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Central: 10.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Few Springfield neighborhoods have higher unemployment: only two of 23. 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 Central 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 Central | 2.10 | 32.7 | 15.2% | 72.5% | 10.6% | 1951 | $905 | 18.6% | 86.7% | 10.3% |
| Downtown Springfield | 1.66 | 30.1 | 7.7% | 93.9% | 15.5% | 1960 | $861 | 27.2% | 89.0% | 2.7% |
| Grant Beach | 2.76 | 31.1 | 17.6% | 57.7% | 24.0% | 1947 | $917 | 14.8% | 82.4% | 5.1% |
| Phelps | 2.04 | 30.5 | 6.5% | 65.4% | 9.7% | 1966 | $975 | 51.3% | 97.2% | 8.1% |
| Westside Community Betterment | 2.19 | 36.6 | 13.2% | 62.5% | 6.2% | 1974 | $987 | 17.8% | 87.2% | 5.3% |
| Heart of the Westside | 2.60 | 29.3 | 12.7% | 54.0% | 11.7% | 1962 | $939 | 7.3% | 74.9% | 11.9% |
| Fassnight | 1.89 | 35.8 | 12.4% | 61.6% | 6.6% | 1977 | $1,034 | 39.4% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Midtown Springfield | 2.34 | 25.1 | 7.4% | 65.2% | 13.9% | 1946 | $710 | 23.6% | 87.8% | 2.4% |
| Rountree | 1.89 | 29.4 | 3.9% | 65.4% | 10.8% | 1958 | $878 | 57.9% | 98.4% | 1.7% |
| Seminole Holland | 2.18 | 33.4 | 18.4% | 50.1% | 5.3% | 1969 | $1,082 | 30.3% | 97.0% | 0.4% |
| Woodland Heights | 2.19 | 35.1 | 10.7% | 59.4% | 11.6% | 1946 | $978 | 15.6% | 92.3% | 13.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Sky Ranch, Santee, CA · Limberlost, Tucson, AZ · Lincoln, Vancouver, WA · Lindley Park, Greensboro, NC · Ludwick, Greensburg, PA · Madison-Eastend, Baltimore, MD · Medical District, Memphis, TN · Middletown, San Diego, CA · Paradise Valley, South San Francisco, CA · Prairie Hills, Madison, WI
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 Central. 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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