Whittier, IA Demographics

Population 282 · Census ACS 2020–24

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

Household size in Whittier

Household size, people per household
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–102.772.442.68
2010–142.542.452.73
2015–192.582.432.71
2020–242.442.432.65
Change−0.33−0.01−0.03
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The average household in Whittier has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.77, 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 Whittier

Median age, years
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–1038.338.837.7
2010–1442.739.338.6
2015–1945.839.739.6
2020–2443.139.840.1
Change+4.8+1.0+2.3
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Whittier skews older than the country: its median age is 43.1, against 40.1 nationally.

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 Whittier

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–106.9%9.5%12.3%
2010–1410.8%9.9%12.3%
2015–195.8%10.0%11.6%
2020–247.7%10.0%11.6%
Change+0.8 pts+0.6 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Whittier: 7.7% 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 Whittier

Renters in Whittier

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–1014.1%26.8%33.3%
2010–1412.5%28.2%35.6%
2015–1912.8%28.9%36.0%
2020–2414.9%28.3%34.8%
Change+0.9 pts+1.5 pts+1.5 pts
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Whittier is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 41.9% 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 Whittier

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–103.3%8.7%11.4%
2010–145.8%8.6%11.4%
2015–197.1%9.4%11.1%
2020–248.2%8.8%9.6%
Change+4.9 pts+0.1 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy in Whittier is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.

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 Whittier

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–10197819651974
2010–14197519671975
2015–19197719691977
2020–24199119711980
Change+13+6+6
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Much of the housing in Whittier is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, 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 Whittier

Rent, per month
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–10$553$669$965
2010–14$678$732$1,040
2015–19$830$821$1,213
2020–24$1,037$1,020$1,571
Change+$484+$351+$606
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A typical rental in Whittier costs $1,037 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Rent takes 17.9% 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 Whittier

Bachelor's degrees in Whittier

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–1014.3%26.5%28.4%
2010–1420.9%27.9%29.6%
2015–1925.8%29.3%32.1%
2020–2427.8%32.3%35.6%
Change+13.5 pts+5.8 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are less common in Whittier than nationally: 27.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Whittier

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–1091.7%90.4%84.9%
2010–1492.6%91.4%86.1%
2015–1995.8%92.1%87.7%
2020–2495.8%93.0%89.3%
Change+4.1 pts+2.7 pts+4.3 pts
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High school completion is high in Whittier: 95.8% 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 Whittier

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodWhittierIowaU.S.
2006–105.6%5.2%8.1%
2010–144.4%5.4%9.4%
2015–192.1%3.7%5.6%
2020–241.2%3.7%5.4%
Change−4.3 pts−1.5 pts−2.7 pts
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The job market in Whittier has been strong: just 1.2% 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).

Whittier compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Whittier2.4443.17.7%14.9%8.2%1991$1,03727.8%95.8%1.2%
Springville2.4543.810.0%14.3%8.7%1978$1,07126.5%96.2%3.1%
Viola2.5246.89.3%3.4%6.4%1988$1,00428.2%96.6%1.3%
Waubeek2.3751.91.9%10.6%17.8%1970$1,20816.7%94.5%4.9%
Troy Mills2.7043.05.1%8.7%5.2%2008$1,13450.7%98.4%3.1%
Marion2.5141.310.5%22.2%7.2%1990$1,05738.2%96.4%3.6%
Central City2.4142.37.6%17.7%8.3%1961$92219.9%97.5%3.6%
Fairview2.5648.58.2%5.6%7.3%1979$73727.1%99.0%1.0%
Stone City2.4747.39.2%10.7%7.4%1970$84316.3%95.3%0.8%
Alburnett2.3646.410.1%13.7%5.0%1965$79628.1%96.3%0.6%
Martelle2.9234.811.2%11.0%2.3%1961$78024.6%98.8%3.2%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Elkhorn, MO · Unionvale, OR · Uniontown, IN · Union Star, KY · Unicorn, PA · Tuscarora, NY · Esmond, IL · Enders, NE · Elwin, IL · Elmville, 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 Whittier. 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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