Population 15,728 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Side
Household size in West Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.79 | 2.61 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.73 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.01 | −0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.63 people per household, West Side sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in St. Paul as a whole, where it has 2.54 people. Household size has dropped from 2.76 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3 | 32.7 | 36.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.3 | 32.8 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.6 | 33.2 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 34.9 | 39.2 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.3 | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of West Side is 36.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Even so, the population here is older than in St. Paul overall, where the median age is 34.9. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.3, as it has nationally.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 14.7% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 15.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 14.6% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 13.1% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in West Side (14.6%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 6.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Side
Renters in West Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.9% | 45.0% | 27.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.0% | 49.2% | 29.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.7% | 48.4% | 30.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.8% | 46.1% | 29.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +1.1 pts | +2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in West Side rent their homes (38.8%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in St. Paul overall (46.1%). Among homeowners, 32.9% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 9.4% | 7.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 7.4% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in West Side: just 4.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 6.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other St. Paul neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1951 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1952 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1947 | 1952 | 1977 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1954 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
West Side is a place of older homes: half were built before 1950, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1944 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $752 | $804 | $1,007 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $818 | $861 | $1,077 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $931 | $1,036 | $1,258 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,505 | $1,348 | $1,603 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$752 | +$543 | +$597 | +$522 | +$606 |
A typical rental in West Side costs $1,505 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in St. Paul as a whole ($1,348). Rents are up $752 a month from 2006–10, a 100% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Only one other St. Paul neighborhood has higher rents.
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 Side
Bachelor's degrees in West Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 35.7% | 37.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 37.1% | 39.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 39.7% | 41.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 43.5% | 45.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +7.8 pts | +8.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in West Side than nationally: 30.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.5% | 85.7% | 92.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.7% | 85.6% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.2% | 86.2% | 93.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.2% | 88.6% | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +2.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in West Side have finished high school as nationally: 89.2%, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Side
| Period | West Side | St. Paul | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 9.5% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 5.4% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in West Side: 6.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.2 points since 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 Side 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 Side | 2.63 | 36.6 | 14.6% | 38.8% | 4.2% | 1950 | $1,505 | 30.6% | 89.2% | 6.4% |
| Downtown St. Paul | 1.45 | 43.5 | 5.4% | 74.8% | 16.5% | 1956 | $1,410 | 49.0% | 93.8% | 14.0% |
| West 7th | 1.89 | 40.6 | 7.4% | 52.8% | 6.1% | 1961 | $1,412 | 52.1% | 95.3% | 5.3% |
| Summit-University | 2.25 | 35.6 | 11.0% | 55.0% | 7.9% | 1950 | $1,287 | 48.1% | 88.0% | 8.5% |
| Dayton's Bluff | 2.85 | 34.1 | 18.9% | 43.0% | 6.9% | 1949 | $1,344 | 29.5% | 86.2% | 5.2% |
| Summit Hill | 2.15 | 36.0 | 5.4% | 49.4% | 5.4% | 1938 | $1,357 | 78.3% | 98.9% | 2.1% |
| Thomas-Dale | 2.97 | 29.6 | 18.4% | 50.8% | 9.1% | 1947 | $1,205 | 22.0% | 78.1% | 5.2% |
| Payne-Phalen | 3.07 | 30.3 | 19.5% | 40.6% | 6.6% | 1951 | $1,322 | 23.8% | 77.8% | 5.5% |
| Battle Creek | 2.94 | 32.7 | 15.9% | 48.3% | 3.9% | 1966 | $1,413 | 25.5% | 83.8% | 7.0% |
| North End | 2.83 | 30.3 | 22.5% | 47.3% | 6.0% | 1956 | $1,114 | 22.7% | 81.4% | 5.0% |
| Macalester-Groveland | 2.23 | 38.3 | 4.1% | 28.7% | 6.6% | 1940 | $1,364 | 77.4% | 98.2% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: West Boulevard, Cleveland, OH · Business District, Irvine, CA · Roland Park-Homewood-Guilford, Baltimore, MD · North City, San Diego, CA · North Collinwood, Cleveland, OH · North Hill, Akron, OH · Northwest Yonkers, Yonkers, NY · Oleander Sunset, Bakersfield, CA · Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA · Mountain View, Bend, OR
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 Side. 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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