Population 2,005 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Palo
Household size in Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.03 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.86 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Palo holds 2.78 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 3.03 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.1 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.1, the median age in Palo is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Palo than nationally: 13.5%, against 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 Palo
Renters in Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Palo is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 7.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 17.7% have no mortgage at all, well below 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 2.6% of homes in Palo are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1992 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1996 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2003 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Palo is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2003, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $992 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,040 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,053 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $768 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$223 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Palo costs $768 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Palo
Bachelor's degrees in Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.6% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −12.7 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Palo have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.6%, 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.3% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.4% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Palo: 95.2% 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Palo has been low: just 1.7% 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).
Palo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo | 2.78 | 39.1 | 13.5% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 2003 | $768 | 25.6% | 95.2% | 1.7% |
| Toddville | 2.75 | 46.2 | 7.1% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 1980 | $1,202 | 34.2% | 97.3% | 2.1% |
| Atkins | 2.85 | 40.8 | 3.9% | 7.6% | 2.2% | 1997 | $625 | 30.8% | 97.8% | 2.1% |
| Hiawatha | 2.58 | 34.8 | 19.9% | 35.3% | 7.2% | 1986 | $955 | 29.9% | 94.1% | 4.1% |
| Shellsburg | 2.61 | 43.9 | 3.0% | 14.2% | 14.1% | 1984 | $817 | 23.8% | 95.0% | 0.8% |
| Robins | 2.79 | 46.0 | 11.9% | 5.8% | 1.1% | 2002 | $1,086 | 55.8% | 98.7% | 5.5% |
| Cedar Rapids | 2.37 | 38.9 | 11.7% | 30.5% | 9.2% | 1975 | $1,091 | 32.7% | 93.9% | 3.5% |
| Lafayette | 2.34 | 46.1 | 10.0% | 14.5% | 4.2% | 1966 | $755 | 28.1% | 96.6% | 0.5% |
| Fairfax | 2.55 | 42.3 | 4.6% | 13.3% | 6.6% | 2002 | $1,125 | 41.8% | 97.6% | 2.4% |
| Center Point | 2.53 | 41.6 | 6.4% | 17.5% | 3.9% | 1984 | $924 | 30.7% | 95.4% | 0.9% |
| Newhall | 2.56 | 38.0 | 8.1% | 13.3% | 8.4% | 1968 | $711 | 22.5% | 97.3% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Barnum, MN · Van Buren, ME · Stratford, OK · Sattler, TX · Ruch, OR · Plainville, GA · Landover Hills, MD · Joppa, AL · Ivoryton, CT · Huntsville, OH
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 Palo. 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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