Population 262 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downey
Household size in Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Downey has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Iowa. Household size has dropped from 2.70 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.7 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.9 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Downey skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Downey (11.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Iowa overall (10.0%).
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 Downey
Renters in Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Downey is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About half of owners (50.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Downey: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Downey 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.
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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $671 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $816 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,073 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,076 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$404 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Downey costs $1,076 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Iowa as a whole ($1,020). Rent takes 22.7% 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 Downey
Bachelor's degrees in Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.2% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.0% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Downey than nationally: 27.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.3% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.0% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Downey: 98.4% 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 Downey
| Period | Downey | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downey runs well above the national rate: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Downey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downey | 2.49 | 48.6 | 11.9% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 1978 | $1,076 | 27.3% | 98.4% | 7.4% |
| West Branch | 2.42 | 42.2 | 10.0% | 16.8% | 8.1% | 1987 | $1,041 | 32.3% | 96.5% | 3.1% |
| West Liberty | 2.74 | 37.4 | 22.5% | 18.4% | 4.6% | 1973 | $1,024 | 22.4% | 79.2% | 2.5% |
| Oasis | 2.24 | 51.5 | 8.8% | 19.4% | 9.0% | 1970 | $1,180 | 36.1% | 96.9% | 1.8% |
| Springdale | 2.23 | 49.6 | 10.8% | 16.3% | 5.9% | 1948 | $965 | 26.0% | 97.4% | 6.8% |
| Lone Tree | 2.47 | 47.0 | 6.7% | 16.9% | 7.6% | 1966 | $988 | 22.0% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
| Iowa City | 2.32 | 32.3 | 6.3% | 49.1% | 9.5% | 1984 | $1,206 | 58.7% | 95.3% | 5.1% |
| Hills | 2.18 | 38.7 | 8.9% | 39.7% | 5.3% | 1971 | $1,134 | 26.1% | 95.4% | 2.9% |
| University Heights | 2.46 | 27.8 | 1.3% | 48.7% | 15.2% | 1966 | $1,546 | 85.5% | 98.7% | 1.0% |
| Morse | 2.44 | 57.2 | 5.7% | 9.7% | 8.5% | 1986 | $1,255 | 57.2% | 98.8% | 6.6% |
| Nichols | 2.35 | 39.4 | 13.3% | 18.0% | 8.6% | 1949 | $937 | 9.8% | 93.1% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Letona, AR · Scullin, OK · Schlater, MS · Sabine Pass, TX · Rundell, PA · Romayor, TX · Rogers, NE · Rockville, NE · Redoak, OH · Red Lane, WY
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 Downey. 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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