Population 1,019 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Elma
Household size in Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Elma has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in Iowa as a whole, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has climbed from 2.41 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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −14.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.3, Elma is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Elma as they are nationally: 11.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Iowa as a whole (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 Elma
Renters in Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +10.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Elma rent their homes (26.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. Among homeowners, 60.4% have no mortgage at all, 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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Elma than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1939 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 |
Elma is a place of older homes: half were built before 1948, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $424 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $472 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $554 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $691 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$267 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Elma costs $691 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 19.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Elma
Bachelor's degrees in Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Elma: 16.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.8% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.6% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Elma is close to the national rate: 88.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Iowa overall (93.0%).
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Elma has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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).
Elma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elma | 2.56 | 34.3 | 11.3% | 26.6% | 11.7% | 1948 | $691 | 16.1% | 88.6% | 1.9% |
| Alta Vista | 2.35 | 44.5 | 5.7% | 16.8% | 7.0% | 1958 | $635 | 17.6% | 92.3% | 1.1% |
| Lourdes | 2.73 | 41.9 | 11.4% | 17.7% | 17.8% | 1949 | $574 | 15.7% | 89.7% | 1.5% |
| Saratoga | 2.76 | 42.8 | 9.8% | 19.1% | 15.4% | 1947 | $559 | 15.5% | 91.6% | 0.6% |
| Riceville | 2.44 | 35.2 | 7.9% | 27.8% | 9.1% | 1952 | $667 | 18.4% | 89.6% | 1.7% |
| Jerico | 2.18 | 48.9 | 3.7% | 14.5% | 4.4% | 1955 | $674 | 16.2% | 92.6% | 0.4% |
| New Haven | 2.63 | 33.4 | 5.7% | 24.8% | 8.5% | 1956 | $584 | 26.8% | 90.3% | 0.8% |
| North Washington | 2.21 | 49.1 | 3.3% | 13.9% | 4.3% | 1958 | $646 | 17.1% | 93.3% | 0.5% |
| Schley | 2.37 | 43.7 | 7.5% | 15.2% | 12.5% | 1965 | $687 | 24.1% | 94.7% | 2.5% |
| Colwell | 2.15 | 47.6 | 11.0% | 14.0% | 7.6% | 1957 | $601 | 14.0% | 86.2% | 0.5% |
| Saude | 2.19 | 48.4 | 3.3% | 14.5% | 4.9% | 1960 | $690 | 20.3% | 95.2% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rock Creek, WV · Martins Additions, MD · Massee, GA · Mc Donough, NY · McNeil, AR · Plattin, MO · Pond Creek, OK · Port O'Connor, TX · Richelieu, KY · Riderville, TX
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 Elma. 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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