Population 104 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ottumwa
Household size in Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.19 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.30 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ottumwa run a little small, averaging 2.54 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of Kansas. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.24, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.9 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.7 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.7 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Ottumwa skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.7% of households in Ottumwa, well 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 Ottumwa
Renters in Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ottumwa is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over half of owners (51.7%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Ottumwa: 5.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Ottumwa are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in Kansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1976.
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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $482 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $648 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $687 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $928 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$446 | +$390 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ottumwa pays $928 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 19.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably 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 Ottumwa
Bachelor's degrees in Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ottumwa: 24.4% 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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.1% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Ottumwa have finished high school (92.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Kansas.
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 Ottumwa
| Period | Ottumwa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.1% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ottumwa has been low: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Ottumwa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa | 2.54 | 42.2 | 4.7% | 16.4% | 5.8% | 1980 | $928 | 24.4% | 92.2% | 3.0% |
| New Strawn | 2.52 | 42.4 | 4.5% | 17.3% | 5.9% | 1981 | $920 | 24.2% | 91.9% | 2.4% |
| Halls Summit | 2.50 | 46.1 | 7.1% | 15.3% | 8.8% | 1968 | $837 | 21.0% | 92.8% | 7.8% |
| Sharpe | 2.08 | 51.4 | 5.4% | 12.5% | 10.9% | 1975 | $730 | 17.2% | 90.6% | 1.2% |
| Lebo | 2.50 | 44.1 | 6.6% | 7.2% | 8.0% | 1974 | $925 | 23.9% | 95.7% | 8.0% |
| Hartford | 2.51 | 40.1 | 7.9% | 18.5% | 7.9% | 1974 | $788 | 21.7% | 95.1% | 1.9% |
| Jacobs Creek Landing | 2.44 | 42.4 | 5.4% | 22.0% | 8.2% | 1972 | $899 | 23.0% | 92.5% | 4.5% |
| Waverly | 2.54 | 46.1 | 7.3% | 17.5% | 9.2% | 1966 | $825 | 20.3% | 92.1% | 7.9% |
| Olivet | 2.41 | 42.8 | 3.1% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 1972 | $988 | 24.8% | 97.0% | 1.6% |
| Neosho Rapids | 2.77 | 52.9 | 5.1% | 9.0% | 4.0% | 1977 | $1,104 | 30.7% | 89.7% | 4.8% |
| Harris | 3.19 | 38.7 | 2.1% | 13.7% | 2.5% | 1976 | $1,255 | 6.9% | 79.2% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Paradise Hill, OK · Paschall, NC · Parsonville, PA · Parkville, MN · Parker, IL · Paris Station, NY · Paradox, CO · Paradise, MO · Paradise Hot Springs, ID · Penasco Blanco, NM
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 Ottumwa. 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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