Population 744 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in West City
Household size in West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.08 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in West City are small: just 2.32 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: 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 City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.2 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in West City are younger than 40.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.2, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.5% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in West City (16.8%), well above 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 West City
Renters in West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 41.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in West City rent their homes (27.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 54.6% have no mortgage at all, 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 West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.8% of homes in West City are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −13 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in West City is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1950, 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 West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $547 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $542 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $650 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $821 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$274 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in West City runs $821 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.1% of the typical renter's income, 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 West City
Bachelor's degrees in West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West City: 8.2% 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 West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.9% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.9% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.4% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in West City is close to the national rate: 88.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (90.3%).
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 West City
| Period | West City | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West City runs well above the national rate: 7.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, 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).
West City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West City | 2.32 | 40.9 | 16.8% | 27.6% | 4.8% | 1950 | $821 | 8.2% | 88.4% | 7.6% |
| Benton | 2.24 | 44.1 | 15.4% | 31.9% | 12.9% | 1966 | $830 | 18.3% | 88.6% | 4.8% |
| Steel City | 2.51 | 39.5 | 9.2% | 18.3% | 16.6% | 1991 | $840 | 21.9% | 87.0% | 4.9% |
| Rend City | 2.70 | 30.2 | 15.4% | 16.1% | 18.2% | 1970 | $1,144 | 12.4% | 92.6% | 3.2% |
| Buckner | 2.31 | 45.8 | 3.4% | 17.3% | 19.2% | 1952 | $1,073 | 12.0% | 91.2% | 7.1% |
| Logan | 2.36 | 45.5 | 7.8% | 18.6% | 8.5% | 1981 | $818 | 12.9% | 87.9% | 6.8% |
| Orient | 2.21 | 50.3 | 13.3% | 15.4% | 9.7% | 1965 | $843 | 13.6% | 90.3% | 7.5% |
| Valier | 2.65 | 33.1 | 13.4% | 14.9% | 17.2% | 1970 | $1,131 | 12.1% | 93.0% | 4.4% |
| Hanaford | 2.45 | 44.3 | 10.6% | 21.0% | 8.3% | 1982 | $686 | 11.8% | 85.3% | 6.3% |
| Whittington | 2.50 | 41.2 | 8.5% | 23.0% | 15.5% | 1981 | $768 | 19.1% | 86.8% | 2.9% |
| Christopher | 2.09 | 45.9 | 8.4% | 24.4% | 16.5% | 1949 | $805 | 16.3% | 91.5% | 7.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Springfield, NH · Harpers Ferry, IA · Harrington, WA · Harvey, IA · Hayes, LA · Shooting Creek, NC · Silver Lake, NJ · Sniders Crossroads, SC · Soldier Pond, ME · South Solon, OH
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 City. 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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