CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Council Bluffs

Iowa · 54,315 residents · 43.0 sq mi

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The short version

Council Bluffs is a city of 54,315 people in Iowa. The typical home is worth $43,900. About 10% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average. The median household earns $25,014, about 17% below the national median. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 32.5

US median: 33.0

Less educated

10% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 24%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

54,315

−7%vs 2000

vs 58,268 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

32.5

−6%vs 2000

vs 34.6 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

43.0 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202463K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 58%(4,372)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.8%(4,245)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147%(3,825)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.8%(3,719)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.7%(3,651)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3417.7%(9,591)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.7%(7,467)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.9%(4,818)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.6%(5,198)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.8%(4,218)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.3%(2,346)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.6%(865)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$25,014

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $36,221 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,318

−38%vs 2000

vs $18,143 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

12.2%

+1.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.3% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$43,900

−24%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $76,500 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$378

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $550 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

66.2%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 65.0% in 2000

33.8% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic92.5%(53,903)

Black1%(604)

Hispanic / Latino4.5%(2,594)

Asian0.6%(343)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98%(53,222)

Black0.8%(409)

Hispanic / Latino2.1%(1,167)

Asian0.4%(196)

Other0.9%(488)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican9.9%(6,177)

Central American0.7%(408)

Guatemalan0.5%(314)

Cuban0.3%(201)

Puerto Rican0.2%(154)

Salvadoran0.2%(94)

Spaniard0.1%(50)

Dominican0%(18)

Asian origin

Chinese0.5%(286)

Vietnamese0.2%(112)

Korean0.1%(74)

Filipino0.1%(67)

Thai0.1%(58)

Laotian0.1%(39)

Asian Indian0%(31)

Japanese0%(17)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.2%(120)

Guamanian0%(1)

Ancestry

German24.6%(15,381)

Irish12.9%(8,078)

English12.6%(7,900)

American6%(3,745)

Danish3%(1,856)

Italian2.5%(1,582)

Swedish2%(1,268)

Norwegian2%(1,251)

Polish1.8%(1,120)

Scottish1.6%(978)

French1.5%(949)

Dutch1.4%(855)

+ 32 more ancestry groups with data

Czech1.1%(660)

Subsaharan African0.6%(388)

Scotch-Irish0.5%(312)

Welsh0.5%(291)

British0.4%(222)

Greek0.3%(202)

Swiss0.2%(137)

Russian0.2%(128)

Nigerian0.1%(81)

French Canadian0.1%(75)

Arab0.1%(68)

Portuguese0.1%(68)

Bulgarian0.1%(53)

Ukrainian0.1%(44)

Australian0.1%(40)

Romanian0.1%(40)

Austrian0.1%(37)

Syrian0.1%(34)

Finnish0%(31)

Croatian0%(30)

Hungarian0%(29)

Lithuanian0%(25)

Lebanese0%(24)

Belgian0%(16)

Brazilian0%(13)

Canadian0%(13)

Iranian0%(12)

Moroccan0%(10)

Slovak0%(7)

Ethiopian0%(7)

Armenian0%(5)

Kenyan0%(2)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

10.0%

−3.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 13.9% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

73.9%

−7.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 81.3% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.0%

−1.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.5% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

16.7 min

+53%vs 2000

vs 10.9 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married40.2%(10,030)

Married44.8%(11,198)

Widowed3.5%(872)

Divorced11.5%(2,874)

Women 15+

Never married30.4%(7,995)

Married44.4%(11,655)

Widowed8.3%(2,179)

Divorced16.9%(4,435)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.8%

−8.5 ptssince 2013

from 14.3% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

52.6%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 52.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

11.0%

−1.2 ptssince 2020

from 12.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

19.7%

+0.3 ptssince 2020

from 19.4% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

27.4%

+0.7 ptssince 2020

from 26.7% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.6%

−0.4 ptssince 2020

from 3.0% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

62.4%

−2.2 ptssince 2020

from 64.6% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

43.6%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 43.0% 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)23.4%(943)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)21.2%(853)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era33.1%(1,334)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.9%(198)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.5%(20)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,030 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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