Community Corner
Census: Naperville Bests State Averages for Home Ownership, Income
Released Thursday, the five-year American Community Survey offers detailed demographic information on communities throughout the U.S.
Shannon Antinori contributed to this report
The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released estimates from its American Community Survey, which provides local statistics for the combined years from 2007 to 2011 on everything from housing to employment to marital status in communities throughout the country.
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The numbers look promising for the city of Naperville, with an estimated median household income that's nearly double the Illinois average and a homeownership rate of 77 percent — topping the state average of 68.7 percent.
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On the employment front, about 105,118 are ages 16 and older. More than 74,000 people make up the city's civilian labor force, according to the data, and 66 percent of those individuals — about 69,579 — are employed.
Nearly 31,000, or about 29 percent, stated they are not in the labor force, and 4,503, or 4.3 percent, reported that they are unemployed.
The five-year estimates are based on interviews with almost two million housing units nationwide from 2007 through 2011. By pooling several years of survey responses, the American Community Survey generates detailed statistical portraits for small areas. The groupings of five-year estimates are released annually.
“By telling the story of our towns and neighborhoods, the American Community Survey helps planners locate schools and firehouses,” said Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau’s acting director. “Thanks to the cooperation of the public, the Census Bureau produces reliable, quality statistical information for even small communities in the U.S. That’s why it’s so important for households that are selected to participate in the ACS to respond.”
American Community Survey Data can be found on the Census Bureau's QuickFacts site, and browsers can also use “Easy Stats,” a tool that allows users to build their own tables by selecting a desired topic and geography. Early next year, the Census Bureau will release “Dwellr,” a mobile app designed to put Census Bureau statistics directly in the hands of new users in an engaging way.
Here's what the American Community Survey has to say about Naperville when it comes to home ownership and income:
Naperville State Homeownership rate 77.8% 68.7% Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2007-2011 23.9% 32.9% Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2007-2011 $394,300 $198,500 Households, 2007-2011 48,415 4,773,002 Persons per household, 2007-2011 2.88 2.62 Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars), 2007-2011 $46,108 $29,376 Median household income, 2007-2011 $105,585 $56,576 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2007-2011 3.5% 13.1%Some facts on the demographic makeup of the Naperville community:
Naperville State White persons, percent, 2010 (a) 76.5% 71.5% Black persons, percent, 2010 (a) 4.7% 14.5% American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2010 (a) 0.1% 0.3% Asian persons, percent, 2010 (a) 14.9% 4.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2010 (a) Z* 0.0% Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2010 2.3% 2.3% Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2010 (b) 5.3% 15.8% White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2010 73.0% 63.7% Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, 2007-2011 87.9% 86.7% Foreign born persons, percent, 2007-2011 16.4% 13.7% Language other than English spoken at home, percent age 5+, 2007-2011 21.3% 22.0% High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011 96.5% 86.6% Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011 65.4% 30.7% Veterans, 2007-2011 5,075 770,388 Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2007-2011 34.0 28.1*Z: Value greater than zero but less than half unit of measure shown
What else do the statistics show?
That data also shows that out of Naperville's estimated 48,415 households, the vast majority — 37,429 — are families. Of that number, 32,733 are married-couple families, and more than 21,394 have children under the age of 18.
The average household size is 2.88 people.
Of the nearly 89,000 residents ages 25 and older, statistics for the highest level of education completed are as follows:
- Less than 9th grade: 1,367
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 1,736
- High school graduate: 9,963
- Some college, no degree: 12,440
- Associate's degree: 5,259
- Bachelor's degree: 32,723
- Graduate or professional degree: 25,458
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