Population 22,733 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Altoona
Household size in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Altoona has 2.53 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.64, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.5 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.1 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Altoona is 38.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 34.9 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the east.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Altoona as they are nationally: 12.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Des Moines area as a whole (11.2%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Altoona
Renters in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.1% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Altoona own their homes; 29.1% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 28.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Altoona: just 4.6% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Only nine of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1993 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Altoona is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1996, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1991 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the east has the oldest housing. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have newer homes.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $769 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $805 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $968 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,229 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$460 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Altoona runs $1,229 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $460 a month from 2006–10, a 60% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 Altoona
Bachelor's degrees in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.2% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.0% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Altoona as nationally: 35.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Des Moines area overall (40.3%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 1.4 points, a smaller shift than 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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.1% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.5% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.6% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Altoona: 96.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.5 points, as it has nationally.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.7% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Altoona: 6.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have higher unemployment. Unemployment has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Altoona 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona | 2.53 | 38.0 | 12.3% | 29.1% | 4.6% | 1996 | $1,229 | 35.0% | 96.6% | 6.5% |
| Ivy | 2.28 | 52.4 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 4.8% | 2004 | $855 | 43.3% | 97.2% | 1.7% |
| Berwick | 2.55 | 36.5 | 38.3% | 15.2% | 2.5% | 1979 | $807 | 17.0% | 91.9% | 8.6% |
| Pleasant Hill | 2.59 | 40.1 | 11.3% | 19.0% | 6.6% | 1996 | $1,341 | 36.2% | 98.7% | 9.9% |
| Bondurant | 2.92 | 34.0 | 14.4% | 9.0% | 4.6% | 2008 | $1,353 | 53.2% | 97.2% | 1.0% |
| Mitchellville | 2.47 | 40.4 | 8.2% | 16.0% | 7.1% | 1976 | $835 | 23.5% | 93.4% | 1.0% |
| Santiago | 2.77 | 35.5 | 6.0% | 7.0% | 5.9% | 2013 | $1,555 | 57.1% | 99.0% | 0.1% |
| Runnells | 2.56 | 41.4 | 5.6% | 12.9% | 1.0% | 1987 | $948 | 34.6% | 97.0% | 2.9% |
| Des Moines area | 2.52 | 37.6 | 11.2% | 30.5% | 7.0% | 1983 | $1,210 | 40.3% | 92.9% | 4.5% |
| Ankeny | 2.58 | 35.3 | 8.6% | 27.1% | 5.3% | 2002 | $1,387 | 51.8% | 98.0% | 2.2% |
| Valeria | 2.61 | 43.3 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 11.4% | 1992 | $1,005 | 30.1% | 95.2% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Niles, OH · Fayetteville, TN · Twinsburg, OH · Enumclaw, WA · Mukilteo, WA · South Milwaukee, WI · East Hemet, CA · East Greenwich, RI · Dixon, CA · Newtown Square, PA
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 Altoona. 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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