Population 3,154 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Runnells
Household size in Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.92 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Runnells run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 2.67 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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.7 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.8 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Runnells are younger than 41.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in the wider Des Moines area, where the median age is 37.6.
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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.2% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Runnells: 5.6% 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 Runnells
Renters in Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.9% of households in Runnells rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 37.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.2% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.0% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Runnells: just 1.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Runnells is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, 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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $826 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $837 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $735 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $948 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$122 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Runnells pays $948 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 22.7% 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 Runnells
Bachelor's degrees in Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.6% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Runnells as nationally: 34.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the wider Des Moines area (40.3%).
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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.2% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.0% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Runnells: 97.0% 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 Runnells
| Period | Runnells | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.7% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Runnells has been low: just 2.9% 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).
Runnells 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runnells | 2.56 | 41.4 | 5.6% | 12.9% | 1.0% | 1987 | $948 | 34.6% | 97.0% | 2.9% |
| Ivy | 2.28 | 52.4 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 4.8% | 2004 | $855 | 43.3% | 97.2% | 1.7% |
| Vandalia | 2.42 | 39.9 | 7.7% | 10.5% | 1.4% | 1980 | $796 | 30.7% | 98.4% | 8.2% |
| Carlisle | 2.77 | 36.2 | 18.6% | 16.1% | 6.3% | 1981 | $1,143 | 29.7% | 95.2% | 4.9% |
| Hartford | 2.71 | 36.1 | 11.4% | 7.1% | 21.6% | 1980 | $1,163 | 25.2% | 94.4% | 2.3% |
| Pleasant Hill | 2.59 | 40.1 | 11.3% | 19.0% | 6.6% | 1996 | $1,341 | 36.2% | 98.7% | 9.9% |
| Altoona | 2.53 | 38.0 | 12.3% | 29.1% | 4.6% | 1996 | $1,229 | 35.0% | 96.6% | 6.5% |
| Palmyra | 2.73 | 35.4 | 12.4% | 13.6% | 13.7% | 1976 | $1,544 | 28.7% | 95.3% | 0.4% |
| Swan | 2.48 | 40.2 | 22.6% | 9.7% | 5.9% | 1982 | $890 | 23.1% | 94.4% | 0.7% |
| Mitchellville | 2.47 | 40.4 | 8.2% | 16.0% | 7.1% | 1976 | $835 | 23.5% | 93.4% | 1.0% |
| Prairie City | 2.55 | 37.8 | 11.4% | 18.9% | 4.9% | 1974 | $806 | 28.4% | 97.7% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Grapeland, TX · Wentworth, NC · Glenelg, MD · Brookfield, OH · Fall River, WI · Clayton, WA · Dexter, NY · Elizabethtown, IN · Oakville, WA · Rio Vista, TX
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 Runnells. 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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