Population 70,984 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Council Bluffs
Household size in Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.61 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.62 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.61 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.57 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Council Bluffs has 2.41 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.46, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the north.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 36.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.5 | 36.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.9 | 37.4 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.1 | 37.7 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Council Bluffs are younger than 40.1 and half are older, the same as the national median. The population here is older than in the wider Omaha area, where the median age is 37.7. The median age has climbed from 38.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 11.0% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 11.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 10.8% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Council Bluffs as they are nationally: 12.1%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Omaha area (10.8%). The single-parent share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Council Bluffs
Renters in Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.3% | 31.5% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 33.9% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.3% | 34.5% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 33.8% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Council Bluffs rent their homes (34.0%), close to the national share of 34.8%. About four in ten owners (39.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.7 points, as it has 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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 7.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 6.3% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.9 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Council Bluffs: 7.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across the Omaha area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1973 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1974 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1975 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1979 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Council Bluffs is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $728 | $844 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $813 | $938 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $891 | $1,042 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,083 | $1,337 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$355 | +$493 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Council Bluffs pays $1,083 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $355 a month since 2006–10, up 49%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the north.
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 Council Bluffs
Bachelor's degrees in Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 34.0% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 34.8% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 36.8% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 39.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Council Bluffs have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.6% | 91.2% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 91.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 91.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.4% | 92.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Council Bluffs have finished high school as nationally: 89.4%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Omaha area (92.5%). The share with a diploma is up 1.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Council Bluffs
| Period | Council Bluffs | Omaha area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Council Bluffs than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Council Bluffs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council Bluffs | 2.41 | 40.1 | 12.1% | 34.0% | 7.1% | 1968 | $1,083 | 23.4% | 89.4% | 3.9% |
| Carter Lake | 2.70 | 42.0 | 18.1% | 9.0% | 7.0% | 1967 | $1,361 | 9.6% | 90.4% | 3.1% |
| Weston | 2.55 | 45.1 | 4.8% | 11.6% | 8.0% | 1976 | $996 | 30.5% | 94.4% | 6.8% |
| Crescent | 2.45 | 52.0 | 3.1% | 12.0% | 6.4% | 1974 | $711 | 29.7% | 95.0% | 1.4% |
| Bellevue | 2.60 | 36.7 | 11.6% | 33.3% | 5.1% | 1982 | $1,341 | 33.7% | 92.5% | 3.2% |
| Mineola | 3.11 | 43.1 | 4.8% | 7.3% | 11.3% | 1979 | $1,137 | 41.4% | 97.9% | 2.6% |
| McClelland | 2.61 | 43.4 | 1.1% | 12.9% | 5.5% | 1981 | $974 | 31.3% | 99.1% | 1.0% |
| Ralston | 2.32 | 38.9 | 6.7% | 35.7% | 5.4% | 1972 | $1,159 | 28.3% | 89.8% | 2.3% |
| Offutt AFB | 3.16 | 24.7 | 15.1% | 99.3% | 9.4% | 1995 | $1,670 | 26.8% | 96.6% | 3.0% |
| Omaha area | 2.57 | 37.7 | 10.8% | 33.8% | 6.3% | 1979 | $1,337 | 39.7% | 92.5% | 3.5% |
| La Vista | 2.58 | 36.8 | 12.5% | 39.6% | 3.5% | 1993 | $1,312 | 40.1% | 97.2% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Charleston, WV · Charlotte, NC · Charlottesville, VA · Cicero, IL · Chesapeake, VA · Charleston, SC · Chino Hills, CA · Clarksville, TN · Carlsbad, CA · Canyon Country, CA
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 Council Bluffs. 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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