Population 67,413 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waterloo
Household size in Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Waterloo are small: just 2.32 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.2 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Waterloo is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has edged down from 37.7 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the east.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Waterloo (13.9%), above the national share of 11.6%. Waterloo has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Iowa cities.
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 Waterloo
Renters in Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.4% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.2% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Waterloo is about as common as it is nationally: 37.4% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). Among owners, 39.3% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 4.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Waterloo as nationally: 8.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national rate fell.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Waterloo is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1957 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $639 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $696 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $816 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $956 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$317 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Waterloo runs $956 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $317 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the southwest.
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 Waterloo
Bachelor's degrees in Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Waterloo: 23.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.6% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.6% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.6% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.1% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Waterloo have finished high school as nationally: 90.1%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Iowa as a whole (93.0%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Waterloo
| Period | Waterloo | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Waterloo is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Iowa overall (3.7%). Unemployment is down 2.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Waterloo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | 2.32 | 37.2 | 13.9% | 37.4% | 8.7% | 1962 | $956 | 23.2% | 90.1% | 5.0% |
| Evansdale | 2.25 | 39.5 | 15.0% | 32.9% | 6.7% | 1961 | $970 | 11.8% | 92.5% | 5.4% |
| Elk Run Heights | 2.27 | 44.8 | 12.5% | 16.6% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,147 | 12.1% | 91.6% | 1.4% |
| Orange | 2.87 | 39.3 | 14.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% | 1971 | $961 | 42.3% | 98.7% | 5.3% |
| Raymar | 2.36 | 49.2 | 4.7% | 5.2% | 7.3% | 1968 | $806 | 22.0% | 96.7% | 1.9% |
| Cedar Falls | 2.41 | 34.3 | 5.2% | 35.2% | 7.4% | 1978 | $1,208 | 52.1% | 97.7% | 4.0% |
| Raymond | 2.62 | 43.8 | 7.9% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 1970 | $974 | 20.6% | 94.5% | 3.7% |
| Hudson | 2.71 | 42.1 | 6.0% | 9.5% | 5.0% | 1975 | $989 | 41.1% | 97.8% | 5.0% |
| Dewar | 2.42 | 49.0 | 6.3% | 8.5% | 9.0% | 1957 | $581 | 21.6% | 96.6% | 2.6% |
| Gilbertville | 2.25 | 47.5 | 6.1% | 11.5% | 9.3% | 1974 | $722 | 24.6% | 98.2% | 2.6% |
| North Cedar | 2.42 | 42.5 | 5.0% | 15.7% | 5.8% | 1979 | $930 | 47.1% | 97.9% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Van Etten, NY · Vernon, ID · Valley-Hi, TX · Verden, OK · Vera, VA · Vernon, VT · Valley Springs, SD · Venus, FL · Volt, MT · Ventura, CA
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 Waterloo. 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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