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METRO AREA

Cedar Rapids Metro

Cedar Rapids, IA · 3 counties · 279,285 residents (2025 est.) · 2,009 sq mi
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The short version

Cedar Rapids is a metro area of 276,624 people. That puts it in the top 4% of US metro areas for household income. 75% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $211,504. The foreign-born share is 5%. Median rent is $922 a month.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% 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

Total population
276,624
+17%since 2000
from 237,230 in 2000
279,285 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
138 / sq mi
+17%since 2000
from 118 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.7
+11%since 2000
from 35.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2,009 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
204K224K244K263K283K19902000201020202024Cedar Rapids
2024277K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(15,923)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(15,819)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(18,974)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.5%(17,953)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(17,256)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.9%(35,631)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.2%(36,607)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(33,302)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.9%(35,805)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.3%(28,503)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(14,819)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(6,032)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$78,204
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,056 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,062
+95%since 2000
from $22,101 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.9%
+20.5 ptssince 2009
from 31.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.4%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.438
+6%since 2010
from 0.415 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade7.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration6.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$211,504
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $94,646 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$922
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $489 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
75.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 73.7% in 2000
24.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.37 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.36 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.6%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 20.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.4%
+3.7 ptssince 2009
from 36.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.7
+10%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.
Gentrification Score
36
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic93.9%(222,757)
Black2.2%(5,263)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(3,091)
Asian1.1%(2,700)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic84.2%(232,828)
Black5.1%(14,132)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(10,532)
Asian2.1%(5,677)
Other4.9%(13,455)
Diversity Score
35
+78%since 2009
from 20 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
33
−5%since 2020
from 35 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(7,399)
Puerto Rican0.3%(859)
Guatemalan0.2%(471)
Cuban0.1%(167)
Salvadoran0.1%(147)
Honduran0.1%(146)
Dominican0.1%(142)
Spaniard0.1%(126)
Colombian0%(92)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.8%(2,204)
Chinese0.2%(613)
Filipino0.2%(504)
Korean0.1%(383)
Burmese0.2%(379)
Vietnamese0.1%(367)
Laotian0.1%(292)
Pakistani0.1%(246)
Nepalese0.1%(237)
Thai0%(93)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Japanese0%(57)
Cambodian0%(53)
Malaysian0%(20)
Hmong0%(19)
Taiwanese0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0%(10)
Samoan0%(9)
Ancestry
German31.4%(86,998)
Irish14.4%(39,706)
English11.1%(30,662)
Czech4.4%(12,194)
American4%(11,021)
Norwegian3.9%(10,905)
Swedish1.9%(5,273)
French1.8%(5,068)
Scottish1.8%(4,944)
Dutch1.7%(4,734)
Italian1.6%(4,356)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.1%(3,151)
Danish0.9%(2,575)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(2,161)
Arab0.7%(1,839)
Swiss0.5%(1,483)
Welsh0.5%(1,418)
Lebanese0.5%(1,187)
British0.4%(1,181)
Belgian0.3%(773)
Russian0.2%(574)
West Indian0.2%(550)
Austrian0.2%(544)
Nigerian0.2%(479)
Hungarian0.1%(376)
Finnish0.1%(359)
Jamaican0.1%(329)
Slovak0.1%(286)
Lithuanian0.1%(283)
Ghanaian0.1%(253)
Ukrainian0.1%(227)
Greek0.1%(223)
Kenyan0.1%(212)
Slovene0.1%(197)
Croatian0.1%(171)
Canadian0.1%(158)
Portuguese0.1%(146)
Haitian0.1%(128)
Macedonian0%(105)
Serbian0%(99)
Armenian0%(92)
Syrian0%(89)
Iranian0%(82)
Brazilian0%(52)
Turkish0%(46)
Latvian0%(45)
Jordanian0%(39)
Ethiopian0%(34)
Romanian0%(33)
Egyptian0%(24)
Bulgarian0%(22)
Israeli0%(16)
Somali0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.9%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 25.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.2%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 89.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
10.8%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+65%since 2000
from 12.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 82.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.6%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.2%
+11.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 5.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.9%
−3.6 ptssince 2011
from 70.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 81.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.6%
+5.5 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
4.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.6%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 11.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.0%
+11.6 ptssince 2017
from 79.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.6%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 92.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.7%
−2.2 ptssince 2016
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 1.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.3%(38,271)
Married53.6%(59,896)
Widowed2.3%(2,606)
Divorced9.8%(10,925)
Women 15+
Never married28.3%(32,335)
Married50.8%(57,968)
Widowed8%(9,169)
Divorced12.9%(14,738)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.1%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 63.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.1%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.5%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.0%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 33.1% 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)22.4%(3,669)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.7%(3,218)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.4%(5,957)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(588)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2%(325)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 16,355 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
In this metro

Largest cities

Cedar RapidsCENTRAL137,935Marion42,732Hiawatha7,432Anamosa5,901Vinton5,004Mount Vernon4,514Monticello4,104Robins3,366Fairfax2,925Center Point2,572Ely2,366Belle Plaine2,346Lisbon2,239Atkins2,203Urbana1,671Palo1,551Walford1,359Central City1,253Springville1,160Shellsburg997Newhall906Van Horne769Blairstown709Coggon688Alburnett675Walker674Olin656Keystone617Wyoming530Norway470

The 30 most populous of 42 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

3 component counties

Linn CountyCENTRAL232,028Benton County26,004Jones County21,253
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Cedar Rapids

Daphne
Pop 267,761
Fargo
Pop 269,528
Slidell
Pop 279,108
Seaford
Pop 277,140
Places similar to Cedar Rapids
Head to head

Compare Cedar Rapids side by side

CEDAR RAPIDS VS
Daphne
Income$78,775+1%
Home value$316,900+50%
Population267,761−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CEDAR RAPIDS VS
Fargo
Income$76,985−2%
Home value$289,725+37%
Population269,528−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CEDAR RAPIDS VS
Slidell
Income$81,202+4%
Home value$284,000+34%
Population279,108same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CEDAR RAPIDS VS
Seaford
Income$81,497+4%
Home value$382,600+81%
Population277,140−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cedar Rapids, IA?

Cedar Rapids, IA has about 276,624 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The typical household in Cedar Rapids, IA earns about $78,204 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cedar Rapids, IA expensive?

In Cedar Rapids, IA, the median home is worth about $211,504, and the typical rent is about $922 a month.

How educated are people in Cedar Rapids, IA?

About 32.9% of adults age 25 and over in Cedar Rapids, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cedar Rapids, IA?

About 9.4% of people in Cedar Rapids, IA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cedar Rapids, IA grown since 1990?

Yes, Cedar Rapids, IA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 65,984 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →