Promise City, IA Demographics

Population 366 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Promise City, IA map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Promise City

Household size in Promise City

Household size, people per household
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–102.442.442.68
2010–142.632.452.73
2015–192.142.432.71
2020–242.782.432.65
Change+0.34−0.01−0.03
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Households in Promise City average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.44, 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 Promise City

Median age, years
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–1046.738.837.7
2010–1449.239.338.6
2015–1947.839.739.6
2020–2437.939.840.1
Change−8.8+1.0+2.3
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The median resident of Promise City is 37.9 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1.

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 Promise City

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–101.4%9.5%12.3%
2010–146.3%9.9%12.3%
2015–192.1%10.0%11.6%
2020–245.8%10.0%11.6%
Change+4.5 pts+0.6 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Promise City: 5.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.

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 Promise City

Renters in Promise City

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–105.8%26.8%33.3%
2010–143.0%28.2%35.6%
2015–1914.4%28.9%36.0%
2020–2412.0%28.3%34.8%
Change+6.3 pts+1.5 pts+1.5 pts
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Only 12.0% of households in Promise City rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About six in ten owners (61.2%) 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 Promise City

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–1028.0%8.7%11.4%
2010–1437.8%8.6%11.4%
2015–1927.1%9.4%11.1%
2020–2414.9%8.8%9.6%
Change−13.1 pts+0.1 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacant homes make up 14.9% of the housing in Promise City, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.

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 Promise City

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–10197319651974
2010–14197219671975
2015–19196819691977
2020–24197719711980
Change+4+6+6
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Homes in Promise City are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Iowa overall, where the median home dates to 1971.

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 Promise City

Rent, per month
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–10$558$669$965
2010–14$452$732$1,040
2015–19$1,292$821$1,213
2020–24$1,104$1,020$1,571
Change+$546+$351+$606
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A typical rental in Promise City costs $1,104 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Iowa as a whole ($1,020). The typical renter here spends 40.5% of household income on rent, 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 Promise City

Bachelor's degrees in Promise City

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–1013.8%26.5%28.4%
2010–1416.5%27.9%29.6%
2015–1911.9%29.3%32.1%
2020–2414.0%32.3%35.6%
Change+0.2 pts+5.8 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are relatively uncommon in Promise City: 14.0% 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 Promise City

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–1086.8%90.4%84.9%
2010–1493.4%91.4%86.1%
2015–1993.1%92.1%87.7%
2020–2493.6%93.0%89.3%
Change+6.8 pts+2.7 pts+4.3 pts
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High school completion in Promise City is above the national rate: 93.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, 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 Promise City

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodPromise CityIowaU.S.
2006–108.2%5.2%8.1%
2010–146.2%5.4%9.4%
2015–190.0%3.7%5.6%
2020–241.6%3.7%5.4%
Change−6.6 pts−1.5 pts−2.7 pts
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Unemployment in Promise City has been low: just 1.6% 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).

Promise City compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Promise City2.7837.95.8%12.0%14.9%1977$1,10414.0%93.6%1.6%
Plano2.5440.211.0%16.8%22.7%1955$81518.2%87.0%5.2%
Garfield2.2641.78.6%17.7%23.3%1948$65917.2%87.6%7.4%
Seymour2.5438.47.0%19.7%14.7%1960$67114.6%85.2%2.6%
Harvard2.8534.87.5%18.2%10.1%1970$67016.0%83.0%3.1%
Jerome3.3028.717.8%24.9%14.8%1946$1,10716.5%81.7%1.7%
Corydon2.2947.16.2%26.1%10.8%1962$75817.3%94.7%4.4%
Walnut City2.1955.59.1%4.5%36.8%1987$78025.7%91.8%4.4%
Mystic2.3639.09.4%19.8%21.1%1944$68616.2%86.6%7.2%
Millerton2.6643.75.5%9.6%20.7%1965$1,24119.7%91.1%2.5%
Sewal3.1029.38.0%11.7%10.9%1971$63316.0%78.5%2.6%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Wood, NC · Bancroft, SD · Barnes City, IA · Bass, KY · Baton Rouge, SC · Beccaria, PA · Bellaire, PA · Blaine, OH · Bloomery, WV · Boneta, UT

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 Promise 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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