Lost Nation is home to 390 people in Iowa. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 17% of adults. Getting to work takes 46 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $77,300, having risen by half since 2000. Median rent is $492 a month. 2% of people here were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $57,000, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 13%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lost Nation
What changed most since 1990
White share98.4% → 92.3%(−6.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.7% → 17.0%(+4.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Population488 → 390(−20%)US over the same years: +35%
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)8.3%(2)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)41.7%(10)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era4.2%(1)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.3%(2)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 24 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
Over time
Lost Nation, decade by decade
Lost Nation population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
488
$44,540
$55,442
12.7%
4.0
2000
497
$57,116
$88,350
8.8%
4.5
2010
446
$59,941
$75,525
12.0%
5.5
2020
434
$48,482
$80,601
10.3%
17.2
2024
390
$57,000
$77,300
17.0%
18.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
