Population 3,210,507 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Iowa
Household size in Iowa
| Period | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Iowa run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Iowa has smaller households than the great majority of states.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Iowa are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.8 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Iowa than nationally: 10.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points since 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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Iowa rent their homes (28.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About four in ten owners (40.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Iowa as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. Compared with other states, Iowa has a lower vacancy rate than most.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Iowa is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Iowa has older homes than at least four in five states.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Iowa runs $1,020 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $351 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only four of the 50 states and D.C. 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 Iowa
Bachelor's degrees in Iowa
| Period | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Iowa than nationally: 32.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.8 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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Iowa is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Iowa runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 1.5 points from 2006–10, as it has 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).
Iowa compared with nearby states
| State | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2.43 | 39.8 | 10.0% | 28.3% | 8.8% | 1971 | $1,020 | 32.3% | 93.0% | 3.7% |
| Wisconsin | 2.40 | 41.4 | 9.8% | 32.2% | 9.2% | 1974 | $1,139 | 33.6% | 93.3% | 3.3% |
| Minnesota | 2.52 | 40.0 | 9.6% | 27.8% | 8.3% | 1978 | $1,404 | 39.6% | 93.7% | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 2.58 | 40.2 | 11.3% | 32.9% | 8.1% | 1970 | $1,428 | 37.7% | 90.3% | 6.0% |
| Missouri | 2.49 | 40.1 | 11.0% | 31.9% | 10.5% | 1978 | $1,122 | 32.6% | 91.8% | 4.1% |
| Nebraska | 2.51 | 38.3 | 10.4% | 33.5% | 7.8% | 1975 | $1,159 | 34.9% | 91.8% | 3.1% |
| South Dakota | 2.48 | 38.9 | 10.7% | 31.4% | 10.3% | 1981 | $1,000 | 32.5% | 93.1% | 3.1% |
| Kansas | 2.53 | 38.8 | 10.5% | 32.8% | 9.7% | 1976 | $1,159 | 35.6% | 91.7% | 4.0% |
| Indiana | 2.54 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 29.4% | 9.3% | 1977 | $1,146 | 30.0% | 89.9% | 4.3% |
| Michigan | 2.51 | 41.3 | 10.7% | 26.8% | 10.2% | 1972 | $1,228 | 32.7% | 91.8% | 5.9% |
| Kentucky | 2.51 | 39.9 | 11.9% | 31.7% | 10.6% | 1982 | $1,024 | 27.6% | 88.8% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
States with similar populations: Rhode Island · Mississippi · Montana · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Mexico · Ohio · Oklahoma · Puerto Rico · Alaska
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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