Population 41,995 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cedar Falls
Household size in Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Cedar Falls run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the southeast.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.7 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Cedar Falls is young: half of its residents are under 34.3, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 34.0, a smaller shift than nationally. Only six of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.2% of households in Cedar Falls, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only five of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Cedar Falls
Renters in Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.2% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Cedar Falls rent their homes (35.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa overall (28.3%). About four in ten owners (40.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Cedar Falls than nationally: 7.4%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Iowa as a whole looks much the same.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Cedar Falls was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Iowa overall, where the median home dates to 1971. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $742 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $821 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $965 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,208 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$466 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Cedar Falls costs $1,208 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Iowa overall ($1,020). Rent has climbed $466 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 36.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Cedar Falls
Bachelor's degrees in Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.0% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.7% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 52.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Cedar Falls is highly educated: just over half of adults 25 and older (52.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest 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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.6% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.5% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Cedar Falls: 97.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Cedar Falls has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Iowa cities.
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 Cedar Falls
| Period | Cedar Falls | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Cedar Falls than nationally: unemployment was 4.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Cedar Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls | 2.41 | 34.3 | 5.2% | 35.2% | 7.4% | 1978 | $1,208 | 52.1% | 97.7% | 4.0% |
| North Cedar | 2.42 | 42.5 | 5.0% | 15.7% | 5.8% | 1979 | $930 | 47.1% | 97.9% | 3.5% |
| Waterloo | 2.32 | 37.2 | 13.9% | 37.4% | 8.7% | 1962 | $956 | 23.2% | 90.1% | 5.0% |
| Hudson | 2.71 | 42.1 | 6.0% | 9.5% | 5.0% | 1975 | $989 | 41.1% | 97.8% | 5.0% |
| Orange | 2.87 | 39.3 | 14.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% | 1971 | $961 | 42.3% | 98.7% | 5.3% |
| Evansdale | 2.25 | 39.5 | 15.0% | 32.9% | 6.7% | 1961 | $970 | 11.8% | 92.5% | 5.4% |
| Janesville | 2.44 | 45.0 | 8.2% | 11.5% | 11.0% | 1975 | $830 | 36.3% | 97.9% | 1.9% |
| Zaneta | 2.49 | 42.0 | 6.1% | 10.0% | 5.7% | 1969 | $853 | 37.9% | 96.9% | 2.1% |
| Dike | 2.53 | 38.9 | 8.9% | 8.0% | 5.2% | 1974 | $762 | 41.5% | 96.7% | 0.9% |
| New Hartford | 2.57 | 47.2 | 8.7% | 14.0% | 9.2% | 1970 | $900 | 23.9% | 98.0% | 2.3% |
| Elk Run Heights | 2.27 | 44.8 | 12.5% | 16.6% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,147 | 12.1% | 91.6% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Raeford, NC · Freehold, NJ · Gillette, WY · Haines City, FL · Hallandale Beach, FL · Hampton, GA · Hicksville, NY · Hudson, FL · Kearny, NJ · Levittown, NY
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 Cedar Falls. 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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