Population 4,186 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West River
Household size in West River
| Period | West River | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.89 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.53 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.40 | −0.02 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
The average household in West River has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The New Haven area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.89, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8 | 39.4 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.7 | 40.3 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.7 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.2 | 41.7 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.4 | +2.3 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.2, West River is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Compared with other New Haven neighborhoods, though, West River is older than most.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6% | 12.7% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 12.4% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 12.0% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.5% | 13.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −20.1 pts | +0.8 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in West River: 22.5% of all households, against 11.6% 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 River
Renters in West River
| Period | West River | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.1% | 34.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 77.2% | 36.8% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 83.3% | 38.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 84.5% | 37.6% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.9 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in West River: 84.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 69.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. West River has a higher share of renters than the great majority of New Haven neighborhoods.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 10.6% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 8.0% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in West River than nationally: 12.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1961 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1939 | 1961 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1961 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1964 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in West River is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, 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 River
| Period | West River | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $947 | $1,093 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $959 | $1,175 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,161 | $1,288 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,308 | $1,584 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$361 | +$491 | +$575 | +$606 |
A typical rental in West River costs $1,308 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 45.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. West River has lower rents than the great majority of New Haven 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 River
Bachelor's degrees in West River
| Period | West River | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 31.6% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 33.1% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 34.5% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 38.5% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | +6.9 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West River: 11.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. West River has the lowest share of college graduates of any New Haven neighborhood.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.9% | 87.4% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.0% | 88.4% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.2% | 89.6% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.9% | 90.6% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in West River never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Of New Haven's 17 neighborhoods, only two have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 | New Haven area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 8.5% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.7% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.7% | 6.7% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 6.4% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West River runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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 River 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 River | 2.49 | 34.2 | 22.5% | 84.5% | 12.3% | 1954 | $1,308 | 11.1% | 77.9% | 8.5% |
| Edgewood | 2.67 | 31.9 | 18.9% | 85.0% | 9.1% | 1942 | $1,508 | 28.4% | 93.9% | 10.4% |
| Dwight | 1.72 | 26.0 | 16.4% | 97.5% | 14.6% | 1964 | $1,400 | 46.1% | 92.5% | 11.4% |
| Dixwell | 2.27 | 28.8 | 17.0% | 84.0% | 18.6% | 1957 | $1,292 | 39.1% | 88.9% | 11.7% |
| Downtown New Haven | 1.72 | 24.5 | 4.0% | 94.7% | 18.2% | 1952 | $1,824 | 75.8% | 93.8% | 5.6% |
| Hill | 2.67 | 34.0 | 24.5% | 73.0% | 9.4% | 1953 | $1,401 | 20.0% | 75.3% | 6.5% |
| Beaver Hills | 2.86 | 32.1 | 16.4% | 60.4% | 5.1% | 1946 | $1,333 | 37.1% | 86.4% | 13.0% |
| Westville | 2.27 | 38.0 | 10.0% | 45.1% | 3.5% | 1950 | $1,695 | 69.3% | 98.1% | 6.4% |
| Wooster Square | 1.55 | 33.3 | 5.6% | 79.8% | 10.5% | 1956 | $1,874 | 76.1% | 96.6% | 5.0% |
| Newhallville | 3.17 | 28.8 | 37.4% | 74.1% | 13.4% | 1947 | $1,474 | 24.5% | 89.8% | 6.6% |
| Prospect Hill | 1.98 | 29.5 | 7.1% | 79.5% | 7.4% | 1942 | $1,717 | 81.9% | 100.0% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Grantley, York, PA · Riverview, Jacksonville, FL · Riverside Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL · Jacobsville, Evansville, IN · Hubbell, Pasadena, TX · Howland Hook, Staten Island, NY · Hobart Circle Historic District, Troy, OH · Highlands, Boise, ID · Hartley, Lincoln, NE · Harris, Lehigh Acres, FL
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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