Population 9,956 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Franklin County
Household size in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Franklin County are small: just 2.35 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 dropped from 2.50 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.8 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.8, Franklin County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.5, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the southeast, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Franklin County (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. The single-parent share is up 4.2 points from 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 Franklin County
Renters in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.6% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Franklin County own their homes; 27.6% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly six in ten owners (56.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is up 1.7 points from 2006–10, 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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Franklin County is close to the national rate: 10.9% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Iowa as a whole (8.8%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.3 points, mirroring the country.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
Franklin County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1950, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the southwest has the oldest housing. Of Iowa's 99 counties, only four have older homes.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $523 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $661 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $730 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$207 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Franklin County runs $730 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $207 a month since 2006–10, up 40%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 20.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the center.
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 Franklin County
Bachelor's degrees in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Franklin County: 19.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.4 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.9% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.2% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Franklin County is close to the national rate: 90.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Iowa as a whole (93.0%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.3 points, 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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Franklin County than nationally: unemployment was 3.6%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of 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).
Franklin County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 2.35 | 45.8 | 10.2% | 27.6% | 10.9% | 1950 | $730 | 19.5% | 90.2% | 3.6% |
| Butler County | 2.41 | 44.2 | 7.0% | 15.9% | 10.9% | 1957 | $743 | 21.5% | 94.0% | 3.0% |
| Wright County | 2.41 | 40.1 | 13.4% | 23.0% | 14.6% | 1960 | $845 | 24.6% | 91.6% | 1.9% |
| Bremer County | 2.49 | 38.7 | 8.7% | 20.3% | 8.2% | 1967 | $920 | 37.3% | 96.3% | 3.0% |
| Humboldt County | 2.25 | 43.3 | 13.3% | 22.8% | 9.1% | 1959 | $798 | 19.5% | 93.2% | 5.7% |
| Fayette County | 2.22 | 43.0 | 8.7% | 23.5% | 10.5% | 1951 | $860 | 20.7% | 92.8% | 3.8% |
| Pocahontas County | 2.31 | 43.4 | 7.2% | 22.7% | 17.4% | 1950 | $801 | 19.0% | 90.7% | 5.4% |
| Clayton County | 2.26 | 47.4 | 8.1% | 22.0% | 14.3% | 1957 | $820 | 14.3% | 92.5% | 2.6% |
| Buena Vista County | 2.67 | 36.9 | 10.7% | 26.8% | 8.7% | 1964 | $926 | 21.7% | 80.6% | 5.3% |
| Cherokee County | 2.26 | 45.1 | 6.8% | 24.5% | 9.3% | 1957 | $750 | 24.5% | 93.2% | 2.5% |
| Grant County | 2.42 | 38.6 | 7.4% | 30.2% | 10.1% | 1973 | $836 | 27.9% | 93.7% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Adair County, KY · Ziebach County, SD · Zavala County, TX · Yuma County, CO · Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK · York County, NE · Yoakum County, TX · Wrangell City and Borough, AK · Worth County, MO · Woodson County, KS
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 Franklin County. 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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