Population 2,313 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Prairie City
Household size in Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.75 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Prairie City has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.38, 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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.6 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.9 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.8 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Prairie City is 37.8 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area.
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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Prairie City (11.4%), close to 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 Prairie City
Renters in Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.8% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.9% of households in Prairie City rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 35.2% have no mortgage at all, 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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.9% of homes in Prairie City 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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Housing in Prairie City leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally.
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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $634 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $728 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $841 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $806 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$172 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Prairie City costs $806 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 20.0% 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 Prairie City
Bachelor's degrees in Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.1% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Prairie City (28.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.2% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.5% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Prairie City: 97.7% 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 Prairie City
| Period | Prairie City | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.0% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Prairie City: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above 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).
Prairie City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie City | 2.55 | 37.8 | 11.4% | 18.9% | 4.9% | 1974 | $806 | 28.4% | 97.7% | 7.5% |
| Vandalia | 2.42 | 39.9 | 7.7% | 10.5% | 1.4% | 1980 | $796 | 30.7% | 98.4% | 8.2% |
| Colfax | 2.53 | 36.1 | 15.7% | 25.1% | 9.3% | 1961 | $810 | 21.3% | 95.5% | 4.3% |
| Green Castle | 2.52 | 41.3 | 14.7% | 14.4% | 10.0% | 1976 | $885 | 20.1% | 96.5% | 7.2% |
| Monroe | 2.36 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 17.7% | 4.7% | 1967 | $822 | 15.9% | 92.4% | 21.6% |
| Mitchellville | 2.47 | 40.4 | 8.2% | 16.0% | 7.1% | 1976 | $835 | 23.5% | 93.4% | 1.0% |
| Runnells | 2.56 | 41.4 | 5.6% | 12.9% | 1.0% | 1987 | $948 | 34.6% | 97.0% | 2.9% |
| Goddard | 2.70 | 50.0 | 8.8% | 8.5% | 13.2% | 1991 | $968 | 19.8% | 98.9% | 1.5% |
| Swan | 2.48 | 40.2 | 22.6% | 9.7% | 5.9% | 1982 | $890 | 23.1% | 94.4% | 0.7% |
| Ivy | 2.28 | 52.4 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 4.8% | 2004 | $855 | 43.3% | 97.2% | 1.7% |
| Santiago | 2.77 | 35.5 | 6.0% | 7.0% | 5.9% | 2013 | $1,555 | 57.1% | 99.0% | 0.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Flows Store, NC · Dexter, GA · Durand, IL · Eagleville, TN · Eden, MD · Edmore, MI · Edon, OH · Elgin, OR · Ellsinore, MO · English, IN
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 Prairie City. 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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