Population 8,585 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Charles City
Household size in Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Charles City are small: just 2.29 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has crept up from 2.23 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.6 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Charles City is 43.5 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 44.2 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Charles City is older than at least four in five Iowa cities.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Charles City as they are nationally: 11.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, 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 Charles City
Renters in Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.5% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.9% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Charles City rent their homes (28.3%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 45.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.9 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Charles City: 13.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.9 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Charles City is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1957, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center. Charles City has older homes than the great majority of Iowa cities.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $416 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $548 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $569 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $730 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$314 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Charles City pays $730 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $314 a month since 2006–10, up 75%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 33.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Charles City
Bachelor's degrees in Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Charles City: 16.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast. Only five of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.7% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.6% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.0% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Charles City: 96.0% 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 4.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Charles City
| Period | Charles City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Charles City runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 4.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Charles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles City | 2.29 | 43.5 | 11.0% | 28.3% | 13.2% | 1957 | $730 | 16.1% | 96.0% | 3.4% |
| Midway | 2.37 | 51.7 | 2.5% | 21.2% | 9.4% | 1960 | $572 | 18.2% | 97.4% | 4.0% |
| Floyd | 2.42 | 46.1 | 5.8% | 20.0% | 11.8% | 1949 | $658 | 22.0% | 91.7% | 0.9% |
| Colwell | 2.15 | 47.6 | 11.0% | 14.0% | 7.6% | 1957 | $601 | 14.0% | 86.2% | 0.5% |
| Bassett | 2.43 | 47.2 | 4.6% | 10.8% | 8.7% | 1973 | $504 | 21.4% | 94.8% | 2.0% |
| Chickasaw | 2.43 | 47.2 | 4.6% | 10.8% | 8.7% | 1973 | $504 | 21.4% | 94.8% | 2.0% |
| Powersville | 2.66 | 40.9 | 3.7% | 8.1% | 9.8% | 1938 | $782 | 20.1% | 96.7% | 10.1% |
| Ionia | 2.41 | 48.1 | 4.6% | 12.1% | 8.5% | 1972 | $505 | 20.8% | 94.6% | 1.8% |
| Nashua | 2.16 | 40.7 | 10.0% | 18.4% | 9.5% | 1965 | $845 | 14.9% | 90.8% | 1.9% |
| Orchard | 2.66 | 34.5 | 8.0% | 17.9% | 8.1% | 1955 | $556 | 29.0% | 88.0% | 0.0% |
| Marble Rock | 2.59 | 40.4 | 12.9% | 16.1% | 10.9% | 1951 | $781 | 21.4% | 97.6% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North College Hill, OH · Minnehaha, WA · Minnetrista, MN · Moab, UT · Monahans, TX · Monee, IL · Monona, WI · Morgan, UT · Morrilton, AR · Mount Rainier, MD
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 Charles 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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