Population 8,254 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Iowa
Household size in Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.89 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.73 | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.99 | 2.59 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Iowa is a place of big households: 2.99 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.89, even as the national average fell. Of the 151 Louisiana cities with 5,000+ people, only 11 have larger households.
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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.0 | 36.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.4 | 37.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.7 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.1 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Iowa are younger than 39.1 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the north.
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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 14.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 15.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 14.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 15.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in five households in Iowa (18.5%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 8.5 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 Iowa
Renters in Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 33.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.1% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Iowa is largely a place of homeowners: only 15.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (45.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the north.
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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 14.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.4% of the housing in Iowa, 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 12.2 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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2004 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +19 | +7 | +6 |
Iowa has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2004, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Of the 151 Louisiana cities with 5,000+ people, only four have newer 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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $568 | $755 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $712 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $800 | $920 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,218 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$651 | +$366 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Iowa costs $1,218 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Louisiana overall ($1,122). Rent has climbed $651 a month since 2006–10, up 115%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.5% of the typical renter's income, just 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 Iowa
Bachelor's degrees in Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 22.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 22.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.5% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.4 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Iowa than nationally: 26.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The picture is much the same across Louisiana. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 13.4 points, 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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.9% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 83.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 85.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 87.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +5.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Iowa have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.0 points, in line with the national trend. Iowa has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Louisiana 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 Iowa
| Period | Iowa | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.7%, unemployment in Iowa is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Louisiana overall (6.5%). 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).
Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2.99 | 39.1 | 18.5% | 15.9% | 21.4% | 2004 | $1,218 | 26.5% | 91.9% | 5.7% |
| Manchester | 3.06 | 38.5 | 8.1% | 16.4% | 15.2% | 2001 | $1,325 | 25.6% | 94.3% | 12.8% |
| Woodlawn | 2.98 | 43.4 | 2.1% | 2.8% | 17.5% | 2001 | $1,164 | 24.1% | 91.6% | 1.9% |
| Lacassine | 3.12 | 33.3 | 3.5% | 11.7% | 16.1% | 2001 | $1,368 | 25.9% | 93.2% | 11.3% |
| Holmwood | 2.82 | 38.0 | 4.8% | 4.8% | 13.6% | 2012 | $1,576 | 15.7% | 99.3% | 9.0% |
| Fenton | 3.27 | 32.2 | 10.9% | 13.0% | 6.6% | 1977 | $684 | 27.1% | 87.0% | 1.1% |
| Hayes | 3.18 | 35.6 | 4.7% | 3.8% | 15.6% | 1974 | $1,465 | 25.1% | 92.4% | 7.3% |
| Moss Bluff | 2.55 | 41.6 | 10.1% | 19.7% | 12.6% | 1996 | $1,250 | 27.7% | 93.9% | 1.5% |
| Lake Charles | 2.69 | 37.2 | 14.1% | 32.3% | 19.0% | 1988 | $1,205 | 29.0% | 90.0% | 6.4% |
| Bell City | 3.11 | 37.8 | 7.9% | 1.5% | 13.5% | 1976 | $1,583 | 20.4% | 92.1% | 6.7% |
| Welsh | 2.86 | 39.1 | 12.0% | 15.4% | 11.2% | 1988 | $632 | 15.1% | 93.3% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Folkston, GA · Upper Sandusky, OH · Valley Falls, SC · Haw River, NC · Hartford City, IN · Garden City Park, NY · Furlong, PA · Fruitvale, CO · Freeport, ME · Fort Stewart, GA
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 Iowa. 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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