Population 716 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Lacona: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Lacona
Household size in Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.99 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Lacona has 2.46 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.2 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.9 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.1, Lacona is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Lacona (8.7%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.1 points since 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Lacona
Renters in Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Lacona is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 54.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.2% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.2% of the housing in Lacona, 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.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1941 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Lacona is a place of older homes: half were built before 1954, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $618 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $625 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $638 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,000 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$381 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Lacona runs $1,000 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.6% of household income on rent, just over 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 Lacona
Bachelor's degrees in Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lacona have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.0%, against 35.6% 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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.6% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.6% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.8% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.1% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Lacona: 98.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Lacona
| Period | Lacona | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Lacona than nationally: unemployment was 3.6%, against 5.4%. 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).
Lacona 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacona | 2.46 | 44.1 | 8.7% | 11.9% | 21.2% | 1954 | $1,000 | 24.0% | 98.1% | 3.6% |
| Newbern | 2.31 | 50.6 | 5.8% | 4.8% | 15.0% | 1970 | $1,048 | 29.5% | 92.4% | 2.1% |
| Liberty Center | 2.82 | 43.6 | 6.0% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 1976 | $776 | 25.1% | 95.7% | 4.9% |
| Milo | 2.78 | 35.6 | 6.1% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 1974 | $817 | 22.9% | 96.7% | 1.7% |
| Oakley | 2.16 | 46.4 | 7.4% | 1.8% | 9.2% | 1981 | $1,680 | 17.8% | 95.6% | 1.2% |
| Dallas | 2.53 | 40.1 | 6.3% | 10.7% | 12.7% | 1967 | $660 | 26.2% | 94.5% | 2.5% |
| Melcher-Dallas | 2.52 | 35.0 | 16.0% | 18.4% | 13.0% | 1949 | $765 | 21.2% | 96.3% | 6.7% |
| Norwood | 2.61 | 39.2 | 15.7% | 11.0% | 3.7% | 1969 | $1,530 | 16.3% | 96.7% | 0.0% |
| Melcher | 2.35 | 55.4 | 3.1% | 4.2% | 14.6% | 1971 | $614 | 41.4% | 86.8% | 2.1% |
| Williamson | 2.46 | 48.9 | 5.9% | 5.1% | 9.3% | 1979 | $1,207 | 17.8% | 96.5% | 1.1% |
| Sandyville | 2.73 | 35.2 | 12.6% | 14.7% | 12.1% | 1975 | $1,620 | 29.4% | 95.5% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Whaleyville, MD · Hollandale, MN · Holly Grove, AR · Holmesville, MS · Hoover, MO · Hop Bottom, PA · Jamaica, VT · Wiley, CO · Wiginton, AL · Whittlesey, WI
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 Lacona. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.