Population 4,895 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Zenith
Household size in Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.47 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.88 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.41 | +0.09 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
The average household in Zenith has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65.
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.5 | 41.5 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.1 | 39.8 | 38.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.5 | 42.2 | 38.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 37.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −7.8 | −3.7 | +1.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Zenith is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has dropped from 49.5 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the center.
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 15.4% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 13.0% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 14.0% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | +1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Zenith: 3.9% of 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 Zenith
Renters in Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 34.3% | 37.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.9% | 42.0% | 40.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.2% | 39.8% | 39.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.8% | 39.9% | 40.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +20.1 pts | +5.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Zenith is about as common as it is nationally: 37.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. Just over a quarter of owners (25.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the center.
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 10.5% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 11.1% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 7.8% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 5.5% | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −5.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Zenith: 7.6% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Even so, the rate is higher than in Des Moines overall (5.5%).
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1973 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1975 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1974 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Zenith are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in Des Moines overall, where the median home dates to 1974.
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $680 | $965 | $1,162 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,442 | $1,222 | $1,284 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,476 | $1,373 | $1,644 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,013 | $1,903 | $2,193 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,333 | +$937 | +$1,031 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in Zenith pays $2,013 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 31.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Zenith
Bachelor's degrees in Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 20.8% | 36.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 23.3% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.9% | 25.8% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.6% | 29.6% | 46.3% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +8.8 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Zenith (34.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is higher than in Des Moines overall (29.6%). College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the east.
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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.9% | 86.2% | 91.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 84.2% | 91.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.3% | 85.5% | 92.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 87.4% | 93.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +1.2 pts | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Zenith is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 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 Zenith
| Period | Zenith | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 7.0% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Zenith is close to the national rate: 5.2% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Des Moines as a whole (7.0%). 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).
Zenith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenith | 2.49 | 41.7 | 3.9% | 37.8% | 7.6% | 1980 | $2,013 | 34.6% | 91.8% | 5.2% |
| North Hill | 2.90 | 42.1 | 10.3% | 8.8% | 5.1% | 1959 | $2,402 | 39.7% | 92.1% | 5.2% |
| Downtown | 2.47 | 33.5 | 10.8% | 76.4% | 10.6% | 1991 | $1,685 | 14.7% | 76.0% | 11.3% |
| Twin Lakes | 2.94 | 40.6 | 13.6% | 25.9% | 5.2% | 1977 | $1,978 | 36.5% | 90.2% | 3.9% |
| Northeast Tacoma | 2.72 | 39.5 | 10.3% | 26.4% | 3.2% | 1989 | $2,369 | 39.6% | 95.4% | 4.5% |
| Lea Hill | 3.49 | 33.2 | 11.9% | 31.3% | 8.4% | 1995 | $2,034 | 24.7% | 88.1% | 5.0% |
| Highline | 2.76 | 37.5 | 15.0% | 48.1% | 7.4% | 1974 | $1,735 | 27.2% | 81.4% | 6.1% |
| Shorewood | 2.67 | 45.0 | 12.2% | 20.4% | 8.1% | 1961 | $2,114 | 51.0% | 90.8% | 9.8% |
| Arbor Heights | 2.31 | 42.3 | 13.4% | 12.8% | 6.0% | 1951 | $2,494 | 68.1% | 98.4% | 4.2% |
| Rainier Beach | 2.88 | 39.3 | 11.4% | 31.3% | 6.6% | 1967 | $2,168 | 36.5% | 83.6% | 4.0% |
| Fairwood Greens | 2.52 | 44.8 | 7.4% | 19.1% | 5.9% | 1974 | $2,343 | 49.1% | 95.2% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Urbanizacion University Gdns, San Juan, PR · Curtis Park, Sacramento, CA · Davidson, Kansas City, MO · Dearborn Hills, Dearborn, MI · Dexter Falls, Columbus, OH · Dillard, New Orleans, LA · Downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL · Downtown, Kent, WA · Downtown Lansing, Lansing, MI · East Dedham, Dedham, MA
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 Zenith. 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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