United States › Kansas › Iola CITY
Iola Kansas · 5,240 residents (2025 est.) · 4.47 sq mi
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The short version
Iola is home to 5,348 people in Kansas. This skews young, with a median age of 32.6. The typical home is worth $78,300, having more than doubled since 2000. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 24% of adults. That trails the Kansas median by roughly 27%. 4% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 6,302 in 2000
5,240 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,198 / sq mi
−8%since 2009
from 1,305 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 35.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
5K 6K 6K 6K 6K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Iola Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $54,221
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,219 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $14,741 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 18.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.401 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 4.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Transportation & warehousing 0.2%
Education & health services 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$78,300
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$767
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $364 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 65.6% in 2000
39.1% rent
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 40.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.6 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 92.9%(5,852)
Hispanic / Latino 1.8%(114)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 85.1%(4,553)
Hispanic / Latino 4.2%(224)
from 19 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
+ 13 more ancestry groups with data from 19.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 82.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 8.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 82.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 65.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 14.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 68.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 99.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 51.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 21.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 39.3% 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) 36.8%(132)
Gulf War (1990s) 34.5%(124)
Share of the 359 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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Frequently asked
How many people live in Iola, Kansas? Iola, Kansas has about 5,348 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Iola, Kansas? The typical household in Iola, Kansas earns about $54,221 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Iola, Kansas expensive? In Iola, Kansas, the median home is worth about $78,300, and the typical rent is about $767 a month.
How educated are people in Iola, Kansas? About 23.5% of adults age 25 and over in Iola, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Iola, Kansas? About 8.6% of people in Iola, Kansas live below the federal poverty line.
Has Iola, Kansas grown since 1990? Yes, Iola, Kansas has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,003 residents, a change of about -16 percent over that period.
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