Population 17,816 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Indianola
Household size in Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Indianola run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.52 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated 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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.3 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.0 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.1 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Indianola is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.1, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.6, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Indianola (11.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.2 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 Indianola
Renters in Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.2% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.9% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Indianola rent their homes (26.9%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over a third of owners (34.7%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.8 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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Indianola than nationally: 5.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Indianola are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, 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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $779 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $928 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $849 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,128 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$350 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Indianola costs $1,128 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $350 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest 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 Indianola
Bachelor's degrees in Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.8% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Indianola as nationally: 34.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Des Moines area overall (40.3%). The share with a degree is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.8% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.8% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Indianola: 96.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Indianola has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Iowa cities.
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 Indianola
| Period | Indianola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Indianola runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Indianola 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola | 2.44 | 38.1 | 11.4% | 26.9% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,128 | 34.8% | 96.8% | 3.7% |
| Medora | 2.71 | 44.4 | 3.8% | 11.1% | 6.0% | 1992 | $1,255 | 34.3% | 97.1% | 3.8% |
| Ackworth | 2.47 | 43.8 | 3.2% | 13.3% | 7.1% | 1999 | $1,427 | 35.4% | 96.0% | 4.5% |
| Summerset | 2.45 | 43.7 | 3.5% | 13.8% | 7.7% | 2003 | $1,614 | 38.3% | 96.3% | 4.0% |
| Spring Hill | 2.86 | 42.9 | 10.2% | 5.7% | 5.4% | 1995 | $1,407 | 32.9% | 95.9% | 3.0% |
| Prole | 2.75 | 42.4 | 9.0% | 8.4% | 5.9% | 1988 | $1,183 | 33.1% | 97.9% | 2.2% |
| Scotch Ridge | 2.84 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 9.5% | 5.0% | 1993 | $1,272 | 31.3% | 94.8% | 4.3% |
| Milo | 2.78 | 35.6 | 6.1% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 1974 | $817 | 22.9% | 96.7% | 1.7% |
| Palmyra | 2.73 | 35.4 | 12.4% | 13.6% | 13.7% | 1976 | $1,544 | 28.7% | 95.3% | 0.4% |
| Sandyville | 2.73 | 35.2 | 12.6% | 14.7% | 12.1% | 1975 | $1,620 | 29.4% | 95.5% | 0.0% |
| St. Marys | 2.77 | 49.7 | 1.9% | 3.1% | 10.6% | 1993 | $1,044 | 35.5% | 96.8% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Concord, MO · St. Michael, MN · St. Matthews, KY · Springfield, NJ · Spanish Springs, NV · Southbridge Town, MA · South Ogden, UT · Somerset, MA · Dillsburg, PA · Dayton, TN
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 Indianola. 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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