Census: Married Couples Run 59%, Women Run 8% of Family Households

The U.S. Census Bureau Thursday released estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS), with local information for the combined years of 2007-2011 on stats from housing to education and marital status.

Wheaton’s estimated population in 2011 is 53,238, a .7 percent increase from the 2010 estimate.

The data showed about 27,651—52 percent—of the population is made up of females, 22,679 of whom are over the age of 15. 

Of the women over the age of 15, 11,727—51.7 percent—are married, with the exception of women separated from their spouse. In Illinois, 47.2 percent of women are married.

More than a quarter of the women, 6,576—29 percent—have never been married and 2,291—10.1 percent—are divorced. About 30 percent of women statewide have never been married and 10.8 percent are divorced. 

There are 368 Wheaton women who reported they are separated and 1,717 Wheaton women—7.6 percent—who reported they are widowed. In Illinois, about 2 percent of women report they are separated and 9.5 percent are widowed.

Of about 20,600 men in Wheaton over the age of 15, 12,000—58.3 percent—are married. Statewide, 51.1 percent of men report they are married.

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About 164 men reported they are separated and 385 men reported they are widowed in Wheaton. Statewide, 1.4 percent of men report they are separated from their spouse and 2.5 percent report they are widowed.

In Wheaton, 7,000 men—34 percent—have never been married and 1,047—5.1 percent—are divorced. Statewide, 36.5 percent of men have never been married and 8.5 percent are divorced.

Of 18,995 households in Wheaton, 13,502—or 71.1 percent—are families. About 11,244—59.2 percent—are married-couple families and 6,365—33.5 percent of all families—have children under age 18. 

Most families with children under age 18 are married couples, accounting for 27.6 percent, or 5,250.

There are 1,519 female householders with no husband present, about 8 percent of Wheaton's total and 750 female householders—about 4 percent—with children under age 18.

About 4 percent of the households, 739, are run by men with no wife present and about 2 percent, 365, are run by men with children under age 18. 

In Illinois, 49 percent of households are married-couple households and 21.6 percent have children under age 18. Males run about 4.5 percent of households with no wife present, and 2.1 percent of households are run by males and have children under age 18.

Females run about 12.5 percent of households and 7.1 percent of households with children under age 18.

Other survey stats:

• 422 women ages 15-50 had had a baby in the past 12 months.
• More than a quarter of the population has German ancestors, 18.1 percent Irish, 12.5 percent Dutch, 10.6 percent Italian and 9.8 percent Polish. 
• About 11 percent of Wheaton's population, 5,906 residents, were born outside the United States. Of the 5,906 people, 52.9 percent are U.S. citizens.
• About 41 percent of the 5,906 foreign-born residents are from Asia, 31.6 percent are from Europe and 19.4 percent are from Latin America. 
• Of the 40,714 civilians age 18 and older, there are 2,483 civilian veterans in Wheaton.