Population 2,838 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West River
Household size in West River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.85 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.94 | 2.65 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.05 | 2.65 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.15 | 2.59 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.30 | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
West River is a place of big households: 3.15 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.85 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 38.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 39.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.9 | 40.3 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.9, West River 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 West River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.7% | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in West River than nationally: 9.3%, against 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 River
Renters in West River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 32.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 33.5% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 33.1% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.8 pts | +1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 2.3% of households in West River rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over a third of owners (34.7%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 9.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 7.2% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in West River than nationally: 7.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of the Baltimore area.
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 River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1971 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −6 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in West River are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S.
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 River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $953 | $1,179 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,077 | $1,293 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,752 | $1,477 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,338 | $1,778 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,384 | +$599 | +$620 | +$606 |
The median renter in West River pays $2,338 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 46.8% 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 River
Bachelor's degrees in West River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3% | 35.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.8% | 37.3% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.2% | 40.8% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.0% | 44.1% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in West River (44.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Baltimore area.
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 River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 87.8% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.1% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 91.1% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.9% | 92.1% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in West River: 98.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 West River
| Period | West River | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 8.3% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West River has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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 River 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 River | 3.15 | 45.9 | 9.3% | 2.3% | 7.9% | 1986 | $2,338 | 44.0% | 98.9% | 3.1% |
| Galesville | 2.76 | 54.9 | 7.5% | 3.1% | 8.8% | 1973 | $2,104 | 32.4% | 98.2% | 2.4% |
| Shady Side | 2.32 | 50.6 | 10.2% | 15.4% | 23.1% | 1977 | $2,510 | 36.7% | 98.7% | 5.0% |
| Deale | 2.57 | 46.2 | 4.6% | 7.6% | 8.1% | 1980 | $3,173 | 42.3% | 96.5% | 8.3% |
| Churchton | 2.50 | 44.8 | 7.7% | 4.8% | 11.3% | 1961 | $3,130 | 40.2% | 96.6% | 3.0% |
| Tracys Landing | 2.61 | 43.9 | 4.0% | 6.3% | 9.6% | 1976 | $1,941 | 44.7% | 95.6% | 4.8% |
| Mayo | 2.86 | 40.8 | 7.0% | 9.2% | 4.3% | 1987 | $2,483 | 45.5% | 95.3% | 3.8% |
| Harwood | 3.01 | 43.9 | 6.8% | 6.4% | 6.0% | 1986 | $2,356 | 48.7% | 95.3% | 5.0% |
| Lothian | 3.27 | 42.2 | 6.5% | 6.4% | 3.6% | 1988 | $1,654 | 35.1% | 86.1% | 6.5% |
| Edgewater | 2.46 | 44.7 | 6.4% | 13.1% | 10.0% | 1984 | $2,492 | 48.6% | 95.4% | 2.8% |
| Friendship | 2.86 | 41.2 | 3.9% | 9.4% | 8.4% | 1974 | $2,121 | 47.5% | 96.6% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wilmington, VT · Abrams, WI · Virginia, IL · Wales, MA · Wallins Creek, KY · Waterford, OH · Weldon, CA · Whiting, WI · Dilkon, AZ · Darby, MT
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 River. 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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