Population 17,733 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Elsdon
Household size in West Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.69 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.77 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.66 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.40 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.30 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
West Elsdon is a place of big households: 3.40 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 3.69 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Chicago neighborhoods have larger households: only three of 135.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.6 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.4 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.6 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.2 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of West Elsdon is 37.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 32.5 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in West Elsdon: 15.4% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Elsdon
Renters in West Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in West Elsdon own their homes; 28.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (52.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has risen 5.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in West Elsdon: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.2 points, as it has nationally. West Elsdon has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Chicago neighborhoods.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
West Elsdon is a place of older homes: half were built before 1957, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Compared with other Chicago neighborhoods, though, West Elsdon has newer homes than most.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $922 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $950 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,048 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,306 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$383 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in West Elsdon runs $1,306 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $383 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 40.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Elsdon
Bachelor's degrees in West Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in West Elsdon have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.5 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.5% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 67.5% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.7% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 76.4% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.0 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in West Elsdon never finished high school, well above the national share: only 76.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 16.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. West Elsdon has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Chicago 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 Elsdon
| Period | West Elsdon | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in West Elsdon: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 6.3 points from 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 Elsdon 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 Elsdon | 3.40 | 37.6 | 15.4% | 28.5% | 6.2% | 1957 | $1,306 | 16.7% | 76.4% | 7.3% |
| Archer Heights | 3.02 | 39.3 | 9.0% | 35.4% | 6.7% | 1949 | $1,088 | 13.9% | 69.2% | 11.9% |
| Garfield Manor | 3.65 | 39.4 | 15.0% | 45.0% | 6.4% | 1942 | $1,098 | 10.8% | 66.3% | 11.9% |
| West Lawn | 3.51 | 34.7 | 17.0% | 23.8% | 5.7% | 1952 | $1,274 | 18.1% | 70.0% | 7.8% |
| Archer Limits | 3.21 | 38.0 | 15.1% | 15.6% | 4.6% | 1956 | $1,264 | 17.2% | 78.8% | 5.6% |
| Gage Park | 3.50 | 33.7 | 13.8% | 40.6% | 6.5% | 1943 | $1,061 | 11.3% | 66.9% | 11.3% |
| Chicago Lawn | 3.25 | 33.3 | 23.4% | 46.6% | 8.9% | 1952 | $1,242 | 15.0% | 73.0% | 11.9% |
| Brighton Park | 3.21 | 35.9 | 13.9% | 42.1% | 7.1% | 1944 | $1,139 | 16.2% | 68.7% | 6.7% |
| Corwith | 2.99 | 32.8 | 15.7% | 49.6% | 8.2% | 1942 | $1,124 | 10.6% | 74.7% | 9.4% |
| Clearing | 2.68 | 37.2 | 15.4% | 26.7% | 6.2% | 1960 | $1,477 | 23.2% | 85.9% | 5.3% |
| Garfield Ridge | 2.90 | 40.4 | 9.1% | 16.7% | 5.1% | 1958 | $1,310 | 27.4% | 83.7% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Uptown, Seattle, WA · Del Rio, Jacksonville, FL · Downtown, Evanston, IL · Eastside, Riverside, CA · Edgewood-Kirkwood, Atlanta, GA · Ellet, Akron, OH · Far Northeast-Houston, Houston, TX · Far Southwest, Portland, OR · Flat Rock Area, Flat Rock, MI · Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC
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 Elsdon. 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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