Milford, IA Demographics

Population 3,586 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Milford, IA map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Milford

Household size in Milford

Household size, people per household
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–102.032.442.68
2010–142.182.452.73
2015–192.242.432.71
2020–242.072.432.65
Change+0.04−0.01−0.03
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Milford is a place of small households, averaging 2.07 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.

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 Milford

Median age, years
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1043.038.837.7
2010–1443.739.338.6
2015–1941.739.739.6
2020–2449.339.840.1
Change+6.3+1.0+2.3
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Milford skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 43.0 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.

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 Milford

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1012.6%9.5%12.3%
2010–1412.2%9.9%12.3%
2015–1912.7%10.0%11.6%
2020–247.1%10.0%11.6%
Change−5.5 pts+0.6 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Milford: 7.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally.

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 Milford

Renters in Milford

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1028.0%26.8%33.3%
2010–1431.1%28.2%35.6%
2015–1923.1%28.9%36.0%
2020–2427.8%28.3%34.8%
Change−0.2 pts+1.5 pts+1.5 pts
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More than a quarter of households in Milford rent their homes (27.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. About four in ten owners (39.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as 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 Milford

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1013.3%8.7%11.4%
2010–1419.5%8.6%11.4%
2015–1916.9%9.4%11.1%
2020–2411.0%8.8%9.6%
Change−2.4 pts+0.1 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy in Milford is close to the national rate: 11.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Iowa as a whole (8.8%).

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 Milford

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–10196319651974
2010–14196619671975
2015–19197019691977
2020–24197519711980
Change+12+6+6
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Homes in Milford run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of Iowa.

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 Milford

Rent, per month
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–10$542$669$965
2010–14$594$732$1,040
2015–19$695$821$1,213
2020–24$899$1,020$1,571
Change+$357+$351+$606
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The median renter in Milford pays $899 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.3% 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 Milford

Bachelor's degrees in Milford

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1020.5%26.5%28.4%
2010–1416.8%27.9%29.6%
2015–1923.4%29.3%32.1%
2020–2423.4%32.3%35.6%
Change+2.9 pts+5.8 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are relatively uncommon in Milford: 23.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.

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 Milford

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–1094.2%90.4%84.9%
2010–1494.3%91.4%86.1%
2015–1993.0%92.1%87.7%
2020–2497.0%93.0%89.3%
Change+2.8 pts+2.7 pts+4.3 pts
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Finishing high school is nearly universal in Milford: 97.0% 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 Milford

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodMilfordIowaU.S.
2006–107.2%5.2%8.1%
2010–145.6%5.4%9.4%
2015–191.6%3.7%5.6%
2020–244.3%3.7%5.4%
Change−2.9 pts−1.5 pts−2.7 pts
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Jobs have been a little easier to find in Milford than nationally: unemployment was 4.3%, against 5.4%. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. 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).

Milford compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Milford2.0749.37.1%27.8%11.0%1975$89923.4%97.0%4.3%
West Okoboji1.9160.74.2%22.7%47.5%1979$1,24042.8%97.8%0.9%
Old Town2.4046.04.6%6.3%10.2%1964$82034.1%98.7%2.3%
Arnolds Park1.9163.42.9%10.5%61.6%1992$96234.7%98.2%0.6%
Wahpeton1.8165.45.1%31.0%64.2%1978$1,55051.5%97.3%0.4%
Okoboji1.7051.83.0%28.9%56.0%1979$97346.8%98.0%3.8%
Triboji Beach2.1062.82.2%4.3%45.5%1978$99243.6%99.6%1.7%
Spirit Lake2.0344.15.5%30.1%19.4%1982$91530.5%95.8%3.2%
Orleans1.8162.02.2%5.2%50.3%1971$1,37839.2%98.1%2.0%
Montgomery2.2250.53.3%5.0%18.6%1962$1,00337.2%99.2%2.4%
Terril2.5444.15.4%5.6%18.5%1975$69631.9%98.4%0.9%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Meroney, AR · Winchester, OH · Willamina, OR · Sulligent, AL · Steens, MS · Moreland, GA · Abbeville, GA · Meeker, CO · Madison, WV · Lake of the Woods, AZ

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 Milford. 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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