Population 6,424 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Iola
Household size in Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.12 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Iola has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Kansas as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.33, even as the national average fell.
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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.1 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.5 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.1, Iola 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. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 36.6, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the southwest.
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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Iola than nationally: 14.5%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Iola has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Kansas cities.
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 Iola
Renters in Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.8% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.9% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Iola is about as common as it is nationally: 34.9% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 48.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 9.1 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Iola: 13.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.3 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +5 | +6 |
Iola is a place of older homes: half were built before 1965, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1954 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west 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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $476 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $571 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $658 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $732 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$256 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Iola runs $732 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $256 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people, only two have lower rents.
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 Iola
Bachelor's degrees in Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.3% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Iola: 25.5% 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 2.9 points, as it has nationally.
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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Iola: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.8 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 Iola
| Period | Iola | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Iola runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people, only two have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 3.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Iola 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iola | 2.56 | 34.1 | 14.5% | 34.9% | 13.7% | 1965 | $732 | 25.5% | 95.2% | 8.5% |
| Bassett | 2.74 | 38.4 | 18.1% | 22.9% | 40.3% | 1976 | $645 | 26.0% | 93.2% | 16.0% |
| Gas | 2.31 | 46.8 | 4.8% | 20.4% | 19.2% | 1977 | $719 | 23.4% | 97.2% | 3.2% |
| Carlyle | 2.09 | 53.9 | 9.2% | 13.8% | 14.4% | 1975 | $660 | 33.2% | 91.1% | 4.9% |
| La Harpe | 2.10 | 54.3 | 7.7% | 12.7% | 16.4% | 1972 | $616 | 32.0% | 90.9% | 4.5% |
| Piqua | 2.70 | 44.5 | 13.8% | 8.9% | 22.8% | 1977 | $613 | 19.2% | 93.8% | 0.9% |
| Humboldt | 2.45 | 46.0 | 18.2% | 16.4% | 18.7% | 1960 | $548 | 19.7% | 94.3% | 13.8% |
| Colony | 2.21 | 46.5 | 3.6% | 16.0% | 12.9% | 1969 | $583 | 17.9% | 92.9% | 6.6% |
| Neosho Falls | 2.75 | 39.7 | 12.4% | 11.0% | 23.4% | 1975 | $633 | 23.3% | 94.1% | 1.4% |
| Lone Elm | 2.30 | 44.7 | 3.1% | 15.1% | 15.0% | 1966 | $542 | 17.3% | 93.3% | 6.2% |
| Moran | 2.51 | 41.7 | 3.1% | 11.3% | 21.4% | 1958 | $445 | 19.1% | 93.8% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Centerville, TN · Cherokee, IA · Chepachet, RI · Chatham, VA · Charlestown, RI · Charleroi, PA · Chapmanville, WV · Chapel Hill, TN · Chadron, NE · Centralia, MO
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 Iola. 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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