Population 238 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Wood Lake
Household size in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.14 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Wood Lake is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.7 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.0 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.6 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Wood Lake is 43.0 years old, older than the national median of 40.1.
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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 1.5% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.2% of households in Wood Lake, well below the national share of 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 Wood Lake
Renters in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.8% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 63.5% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +27.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Wood Lake rent: 63.5% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About eight in ten owners (80.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 27.3 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −21.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Wood Lake: 20.7% 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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +6 | +6 |
Wood Lake is a place of older homes: half were built before 1960, 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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $707 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,049 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $618 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,061 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$354 | +$429 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Wood Lake costs $1,061 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 Wood Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.5% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | −9.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wood Lake have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.5%, 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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.2% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.4% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.2% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Wood Lake: 97.8% 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 Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.2% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.7% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.0% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Wood Lake out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force 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).
Wood Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Lake | 2.30 | 43.0 | 3.2% | 63.5% | 20.7% | 1960 | $1,061 | 21.5% | 97.8% | 0.0% |
| Valentine | 2.29 | 43.0 | 18.5% | 36.2% | 23.2% | 1966 | $861 | 25.3% | 95.2% | 0.4% |
| Sparks | 2.34 | 48.7 | 11.5% | 21.5% | 34.3% | 1967 | $731 | 21.4% | 93.8% | 1.2% |
| Johnstown | 2.35 | 44.5 | 5.1% | 28.6% | 19.4% | 1956 | $821 | 25.4% | 91.5% | 2.1% |
| Crookston | 1.93 | 51.4 | 24.3% | 13.8% | 39.0% | 1975 | $509 | 20.7% | 92.0% | 0.9% |
| Olsonville | 3.48 | 34.1 | 36.9% | 35.0% | 17.5% | 1980 | $338 | 16.3% | 93.9% | 0.8% |
| Elsmere | 2.55 | 44.2 | 4.6% | 39.0% | 31.4% | 1969 | $932 | 27.0% | 97.3% | 0.3% |
| Keyapaha | 2.77 | 44.4 | 11.3% | 25.8% | 13.5% | 1969 | $679 | 23.2% | 97.0% | 0.1% |
| Ainsworth | 2.21 | 45.4 | 6.6% | 25.9% | 23.8% | 1960 | $905 | 23.7% | 92.9% | 1.5% |
| Kilgore | 2.65 | 44.9 | 1.3% | 29.0% | 28.3% | 1956 | $1,115 | 21.2% | 95.1% | 0.7% |
| Springview | 2.71 | 48.4 | 3.7% | 19.3% | 38.0% | 1967 | $874 | 20.6% | 96.3% | 1.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Thornton, ID · Darfur, MN · Dawn, OH · Days Crossroads, NC · Alchesay Flat, AZ · Decatur City, IA · DeJarnett, VA · Dolliver, IA · Tollville, AR · Tocito, NM
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 Wood Lake. 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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