Population 6,518 · 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 Osceola: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Osceola
Household size in Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.34 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Osceola are small: just 2.22 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.57 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.0 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.1 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Osceola is 42.1 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 40.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northeast.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Osceola (13.5%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Osceola has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Iowa 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 Osceola
Renters in Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.9% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.0% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.5% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Osceola is about as common as it is nationally: 34.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Des Moines area as a whole (30.5%). Among homeowners, 32.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 9.2 points from 2006–10, 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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Osceola as nationally: 11.0%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole (7.0%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.8 points, as it has nationally.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Osceola was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the south.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $469 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $654 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $753 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $851 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$382 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Osceola runs $851 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $382 a month from 2006–10, an 82% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the southeast.
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 Osceola
Bachelor's degrees in Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Osceola: 15.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 0.7 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only two have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.3% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.7% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.9% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Osceola never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.6 points, in line with the national trend. Of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people, only five have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Osceola
| Period | Osceola | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Osceola: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Osceola has higher unemployment than the great majority of Iowa cities. 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).
Osceola 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola | 2.22 | 42.1 | 13.5% | 34.5% | 11.0% | 1980 | $851 | 15.3% | 85.9% | 6.3% |
| Woodburn | 2.63 | 42.7 | 4.7% | 11.9% | 2.5% | 1979 | $618 | 19.7% | 98.0% | 1.8% |
| Weldon | 2.32 | 38.6 | 3.9% | 12.9% | 7.6% | 1979 | $734 | 13.8% | 95.2% | 1.7% |
| Murray | 2.99 | 34.8 | 11.6% | 9.7% | 9.4% | 1972 | $871 | 17.6% | 93.7% | 1.1% |
| New Virginia | 2.86 | 38.3 | 4.7% | 13.1% | 9.3% | 1978 | $915 | 26.3% | 95.6% | 0.5% |
| Last Chance | 2.43 | 46.5 | 6.8% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 1966 | $1,095 | 20.7% | 94.8% | 2.9% |
| Van Wert | 2.41 | 36.4 | 4.6% | 12.0% | 10.6% | 1979 | $834 | 14.4% | 92.2% | 0.8% |
| Truro | 2.93 | 38.5 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 17.3% | 1958 | $1,034 | 23.5% | 95.6% | 0.7% |
| Norwood | 2.61 | 39.2 | 15.7% | 11.0% | 3.7% | 1969 | $1,530 | 16.3% | 96.7% | 0.0% |
| Lucas | 2.54 | 40.8 | 15.8% | 10.6% | 7.5% | 1964 | $1,712 | 17.0% | 95.0% | 0.6% |
| East Peru | 2.73 | 48.8 | 5.0% | 4.0% | 16.5% | 1960 | $800 | 17.7% | 83.4% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lancaster, MA · Lawrenceville, IL · Lawndale, NC · Lavon, TX · Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL · Latta, SC · Lascassas, TN · Larose, LA · Lancaster, WI · Lawson, 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 Osceola. 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.