Population 2,249 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Central City
Household size in Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Central City run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across Iowa.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Central City is 42.3 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.3, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.6% of households in Central City, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Central City
Renters in Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.1% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Central City is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Central City is close to the national rate: 8.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Central City is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $588 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $640 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $614 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $922 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$334 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Central City pays $922 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Central City
Bachelor's degrees in Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Central City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.9%, against 35.6% 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Central City: 97.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Central City than nationally: unemployment was 3.6%, against 5.4%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Central City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central City | 2.41 | 42.3 | 7.6% | 17.7% | 8.3% | 1961 | $922 | 19.9% | 97.5% | 3.6% |
| Waubeek | 2.37 | 51.9 | 1.9% | 10.6% | 17.8% | 1970 | $1,208 | 16.7% | 94.5% | 4.9% |
| Coggon | 2.52 | 41.7 | 6.7% | 11.2% | 15.8% | 1965 | $781 | 24.5% | 97.5% | 1.4% |
| Alburnett | 2.36 | 46.4 | 10.1% | 13.7% | 5.0% | 1965 | $796 | 28.1% | 96.3% | 0.6% |
| Monti | 2.44 | 38.3 | 8.0% | 16.9% | 12.9% | 1950 | $742 | 31.9% | 98.0% | 0.8% |
| Prairieburg | 2.43 | 47.4 | 7.6% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1964 | $1,184 | 27.9% | 96.6% | 1.3% |
| Whittier | 2.44 | 43.1 | 7.7% | 14.9% | 8.2% | 1991 | $1,037 | 27.8% | 95.8% | 1.2% |
| Troy Mills | 2.70 | 43.0 | 5.1% | 8.7% | 5.2% | 2008 | $1,134 | 50.7% | 98.4% | 3.1% |
| Lafayette | 2.34 | 46.1 | 10.0% | 14.5% | 4.2% | 1966 | $755 | 28.1% | 96.6% | 0.5% |
| Viola | 2.52 | 46.8 | 9.3% | 3.4% | 6.4% | 1988 | $1,004 | 28.2% | 96.6% | 1.3% |
| Ryan | 2.38 | 42.5 | 5.5% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1955 | $724 | 34.1% | 98.5% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pelham, NC · Edgard, LA · Eros, LA · Graford, TX · Middletown, CA · Mountain Lake Park, MD · Muir, CA · Outlook, WA · Owensville, OH · Argyle, 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 Central City. 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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