Population 925 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in What Cheer
Household size in What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
What Cheer is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.4 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.1, What Cheer is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 42.3 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in What Cheer (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Iowa overall (10.0%).
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 What Cheer
Renters in What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.4% of households in What Cheer rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 54.8% have no mortgage at all, well above 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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in What Cheer: 18.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1941 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1939 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 |
What Cheer is a place of older homes: half were built before 1939, 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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $437 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $429 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $746 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $801 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$364 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in What Cheer costs $801 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 20.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 What Cheer
Bachelor's degrees in What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in What Cheer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.4%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.7% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.6% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.6% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in What Cheer is above the national rate: 93.6% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa.
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 What Cheer
| Period | What Cheer | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in What Cheer: 6.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
What Cheer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Cheer | 2.33 | 44.1 | 11.1% | 23.4% | 18.3% | 1939 | $801 | 14.4% | 93.6% | 6.7% |
| Thornburg | 2.25 | 45.6 | 5.3% | 10.1% | 9.2% | 1938 | $874 | 12.6% | 94.2% | 6.5% |
| Indianapolis | 2.11 | 51.4 | 6.4% | 22.3% | 8.5% | 1945 | $838 | 22.1% | 88.4% | 2.0% |
| Delta | 2.51 | 41.6 | 10.0% | 14.8% | 15.8% | 1944 | $933 | 9.2% | 91.1% | 6.5% |
| Keswick | 3.07 | 38.2 | 13.9% | 20.1% | 11.3% | 1943 | $953 | 11.0% | 99.1% | 2.0% |
| Gibson | 2.24 | 44.2 | 7.5% | 11.6% | 9.5% | 1939 | $875 | 13.4% | 93.9% | 4.7% |
| Rose Hill | 2.52 | 43.1 | 15.0% | 19.9% | 6.6% | 1957 | $834 | 22.9% | 91.5% | 4.4% |
| Hayesville | 2.44 | 44.8 | 9.6% | 20.8% | 13.4% | 1955 | $865 | 18.7% | 96.2% | 4.5% |
| Sigourney | 2.14 | 45.9 | 8.7% | 26.9% | 14.0% | 1957 | $868 | 23.4% | 94.5% | 6.0% |
| Webster | 2.55 | 42.0 | 10.8% | 9.5% | 8.9% | 1951 | $883 | 13.9% | 96.3% | 2.2% |
| Barnes City | 2.11 | 50.7 | 6.1% | 24.1% | 7.6% | 1954 | $799 | 24.7% | 88.6% | 1.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stanwood, IA · Havana, AR · Hazelwood, IN · Spies, NC · Spring Mills, VA · Springville, PA · St. Francis, KY · Stallion Springs, CA · Stanford, IL · Harlem, OH
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 What Cheer. 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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