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CITY · 2020 ACS

Council Bluffs

Iowa · 62,799 residents · 43.0 sq mi
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The short version

Council Bluffs is home to 62,799 people in Iowa. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. The typical home is worth $122,400, having risen by half since 2000. 5% of residents were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. The median household earns $53,449, about 19% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

62,799
+8%since 2000
from 58,268 in 2000
1990 – 2025
38.3
+11%since 2000
from 34.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
43.0 sq mi
Population, 19902024
53K56K59K61K64K19902000201020202024Council Bluffs
202463K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56%(3,783)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(4,023)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.8%(4,274)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.3%(4,566)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(3,827)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.1%(8,211)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.6%(7,935)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.4%(7,156)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.4%(8,392)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410%(6,295)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.8%(2,993)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(1,344)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$53,449
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,221 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$27,489
+52%since 2000
from $18,143 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
32.8%
+10.3 ptssince 2009
from 22.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
12.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9.6%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance7.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical6.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration5.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$122,400
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,500 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$860
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $550 in 2000
US average: $1,124
60.3%
−4.7 ptssince 2000
from 65.0% in 2000
39.7% rent
2.41 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.32 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
2.3
−9%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.5%(53,903)
Black1%(604)
Hispanic / Latino4.5%(2,594)
Asian0.6%(343)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic80.9%(50,787)
Black2.7%(1,679)
Hispanic / Latino10.4%(6,508)
Asian1%(640)
Other2.6%(1,602)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican8.8%(5,459)
Colombian0.3%(172)
Puerto Rican0.3%(163)
Guatemalan0.2%(145)
Cuban0.1%(80)
Salvadoran0.1%(72)
Spaniard0.1%(56)
Venezuelan0.1%(49)
Honduran0.1%(32)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.3%(217)
Chinese0.3%(185)
Filipino0.2%(110)
Thai0.1%(86)
Asian Indian0.1%(70)
Korean0%(23)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(60)
Ancestry
German29.1%(18,129)
Irish13.4%(8,370)
English8%(5,014)
American5.6%(3,471)
Danish3.7%(2,330)
Norwegian2.3%(1,427)
Italian2%(1,273)
Swedish2%(1,249)
Polish2%(1,228)
Dutch1.7%(1,089)
French1.7%(1,084)
Czech1.5%(924)
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.3%(841)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(479)
Welsh0.5%(298)
Belgian0.3%(189)
Russian0.2%(147)
British0.2%(129)
Swiss0.1%(89)
Greek0.1%(74)
Portuguese0.1%(74)
Croatian0.1%(70)
Hungarian0.1%(65)
Finnish0.1%(54)
Canadian0.1%(52)
Romanian0.1%(45)
Austrian0%(31)
Iranian0%(22)
Ukrainian0%(17)
Slovene0%(16)
Serbian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

19.5%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
87.2%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 81.3% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
6.8%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

19.3 min
+77%since 2000
from 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
83.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 82.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
8.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

4.9%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 7.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
64.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 68.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.3%
US average: 73.3%
30.5%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 24.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

48.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
51.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
5.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
6.1%
−8.2 ptssince 2013
from 14.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.6%
US average: 91.9%
85.9%
US average: 86.2%
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

6.1%
−8.2 ptssince 2013
from 14.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
52.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.2%
US average: 13.7%
19.4%
US average: 17.6%
26.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
64.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
43.0%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16%(710)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.4%(951)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era33.1%(1,472)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.5%(334)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.4%(108)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 4,447 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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Frequently asked

How many people live in Council Bluffs, Iowa?

Council Bluffs, Iowa has about 62,799 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Council Bluffs, Iowa?

The typical household in Council Bluffs, Iowa earns about $53,449 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Council Bluffs, Iowa expensive?

In Council Bluffs, Iowa, the median home is worth about $122,400, and the typical rent is about $860 a month.

How educated are people in Council Bluffs, Iowa?

About 19.5% of adults age 25 and over in Council Bluffs, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Council Bluffs, Iowa?

About 12.2% of people in Council Bluffs, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.

Has Council Bluffs, Iowa grown since 1990?

Yes, Council Bluffs, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,484 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →