United States › Iowa › Cedar Falls CITY
Cedar Falls Iowa · 41,240 residents (2025 est.) · 29.4 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Cedar Falls is a city of 40,888 people in Iowa. This skews young, with a median age of 29.3. This is an unusually credentialed place: 50% of adults have a four-year degree. Getting to work takes 14 minutes on average. People stay put here: 77% were in the same home a year ago. 3% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
50% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 36,145 in 2000
41,240 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,389 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 1,277 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 26.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
34K 36K 38K 40K 42K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Cedar Falls Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $76,987
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,226 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $19,140 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.454 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.9%
Transportation & warehousing 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.3%
Education & health services 0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.6%
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$263,600
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $97,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,203
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $492 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 64.3% in 2000
36.0% rent
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 61.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.2 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 94.6%(34,207)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(389)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 90.6%(37,031)
Hispanic / Latino 2.2%(893)
from 15 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data from 39.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 92.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 16.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 9.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 78.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 66.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 80.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 37.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 7.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 6.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 84.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 70.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 47.4%(7,870)
Women 15+
Never married 43.9%(8,027)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 6.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 15.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 9.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 84.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 24.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 29%(454)
Gulf War (1990s) 20.1%(315)
Share of the 1,568 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Cedar Falls Head to head
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CEDAR FALLS VS
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CEDAR FALLS VS
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CEDAR FALLS VS
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Income $70,424 −9%
Home value $187,100 −29%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cedar Falls, Iowa? Cedar Falls, Iowa has about 40,888 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cedar Falls, Iowa? The typical household in Cedar Falls, Iowa earns about $76,987 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cedar Falls, Iowa expensive? In Cedar Falls, Iowa, the median home is worth about $263,600, and the typical rent is about $1,203 a month.
How educated are people in Cedar Falls, Iowa? About 50.4% of adults age 25 and over in Cedar Falls, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cedar Falls, Iowa? About 15.7% of people in Cedar Falls, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cedar Falls, Iowa grown since 1990? Yes, Cedar Falls, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,590 residents, a change of about 19 percent over that period.
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