Population 12,432 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Ward
Household size in West Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.55 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.81 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The typical household in West Ward holds 2.81 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.64 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the southeast.
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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7 | 40.0 | 40.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.9 | 42.1 | 41.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 43.6 | 42.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.4 | 41.6 | 42.3 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.3 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
West Ward is young: half of its residents are under 32.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 33.7, even as the national median rose.
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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.9% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 10.3% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 12.9% | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in West Ward: 24.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 2.6 points since 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 Ward
Renters in West Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.0% | 24.0% | 26.9% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 59.2% | 27.2% | 29.3% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.1% | 28.5% | 31.2% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 63.4% | 28.3% | 30.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +3.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in West Ward: 63.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 35.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the north. The renter share is up 8.4 points from 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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 7.7% | 8.0% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 8.4% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.3% | 9.2% | 8.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 7.1% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in West Ward: 12.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 6.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1968 | 1965 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1970 | 1967 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1970 | 1967 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1970 | 1969 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | ±0 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
West Ward is a place of older homes: half were built before 1938, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $789 | $1,025 | $928 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $916 | $1,052 | $1,020 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $980 | $1,271 | $1,170 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,255 | $1,606 | $1,504 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$467 | +$581 | +$576 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in West Ward runs $1,255 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $467 a month since 2006–10, up 59%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Ward
Bachelor's degrees in West Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 29.1% | 26.0% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 29.3% | 26.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 34.7% | 29.5% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 38.7% | 33.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in West Ward have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.0 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.0% | 87.8% | 86.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.4% | 89.5% | 88.0% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.1% | 90.3% | 89.7% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.9% | 92.2% | 91.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in West Ward never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 15.9 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Ward
| Period | West Ward | Easton | Allentown area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 7.7% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 9.0% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.6% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in West Ward than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.5 points, 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 Ward 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 Ward | 2.81 | 32.4 | 24.3% | 63.4% | 12.1% | 1938 | $1,255 | 15.7% | 86.9% | 6.3% |
| Southside | 2.61 | 36.3 | 23.7% | 38.4% | 4.7% | 1961 | $1,514 | 21.9% | 86.1% | 5.4% |
| College Hill | 1.83 | 27.8 | 9.7% | 38.8% | 20.5% | 1938 | $1,435 | 72.2% | 93.2% | 3.7% |
| North End | 2.32 | 41.3 | 10.1% | 31.3% | 9.8% | 1938 | $1,346 | 23.0% | 88.1% | 4.2% |
| Firthtown | 2.44 | 39.3 | 20.3% | 59.3% | 2.5% | 1945 | $1,228 | 19.2% | 87.7% | 9.7% |
| Palmer Heights | 2.58 | 49.6 | 7.3% | 12.4% | 5.7% | 1977 | $1,573 | 39.0% | 96.4% | 5.3% |
| middletown | 2.56 | 45.7 | 6.5% | 18.6% | 3.0% | 1978 | $1,493 | 31.8% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| South Side | 2.59 | 30.9 | 16.2% | 69.4% | 15.4% | 1949 | $1,268 | 19.9% | 79.0% | 15.0% |
| Sayre Park | 2.69 | 27.2 | 12.0% | 65.3% | 5.3% | 1948 | $1,541 | 25.2% | 78.0% | 4.6% |
| West Bethlehem | 2.24 | 39.2 | 9.9% | 43.6% | 5.5% | 1944 | $1,447 | 44.2% | 94.8% | 6.4% |
| Rittersville | 2.87 | 39.7 | 19.1% | 49.6% | 7.7% | 1952 | $1,419 | 14.3% | 74.9% | 15.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Adams Park, Atlanta, GA · Surprise Farms, Surprise, AZ · Taku-Campbell, Anchorage, AK · Terrace, San Bernardino, CA · Turtle Rock, Irvine, CA · Contempo, Union City, CA · College Point, Queens, NY · Wade, Raleigh, NC · Buckman, Portland, OR · Bridgeland, Cypress, TX
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 Ward. 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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