Population 1,267 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ossian
Household size in Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Ossian has 2.50 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Iowa.
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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.1 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Ossian is 43.8 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has dropped from 45.1 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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Ossian (8.7%), below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Ossian
Renters in Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ossian is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.5% 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 (45.0%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Ossian 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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Ossian is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1946, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $477 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $597 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $716 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $847 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$369 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ossian costs $847 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Ossian
Bachelor's degrees in Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ossian have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.8%, 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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.1% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.9% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ossian is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. Iowa as a whole looks much the same.
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 Ossian
| Period | Ossian | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.0% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ossian has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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).
Ossian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ossian | 2.50 | 43.8 | 8.7% | 16.5% | 11.0% | 1946 | $847 | 20.8% | 93.5% | 2.6% |
| Festina | 2.47 | 42.9 | 7.2% | 16.6% | 15.7% | 1952 | $1,066 | 23.4% | 95.5% | 0.8% |
| Castalia | 2.49 | 45.5 | 4.8% | 11.3% | 7.9% | 1942 | $789 | 14.3% | 94.3% | 1.1% |
| Nordness | 2.41 | 43.9 | 2.8% | 16.6% | 2.8% | 1939 | $612 | 22.8% | 95.7% | 0.9% |
| Calmar | 2.45 | 41.2 | 6.2% | 26.0% | 11.7% | 1962 | $896 | 24.1% | 97.5% | 0.5% |
| Fort Atkinson | 2.37 | 39.6 | 8.2% | 16.0% | 13.4% | 1957 | $1,044 | 15.7% | 96.0% | 0.8% |
| Conover | 2.48 | 40.0 | 4.8% | 26.3% | 9.3% | 1959 | $757 | 21.9% | 97.7% | 0.8% |
| St. Lucas | 2.35 | 47.7 | 4.4% | 13.4% | 20.9% | 1943 | $786 | 18.7% | 96.8% | 1.1% |
| Postville | 2.97 | 29.7 | 10.3% | 31.4% | 2.9% | 1951 | $865 | 16.8% | 87.6% | 3.4% |
| Spillville | 2.32 | 38.8 | 4.0% | 32.8% | 7.1% | 1947 | $773 | 27.4% | 97.1% | 1.2% |
| Clermont | 2.23 | 50.6 | 4.0% | 9.1% | 11.8% | 1956 | $478 | 23.4% | 95.8% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Breesport, NY · Sunbright, TN · St. Clair, MN · Geary, OK · Village Meadows, AZ · Waynetown, IN · Whitton, TX · Wicksburg, AL · Brilliant, OH · Brent, OK
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 Ossian. 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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