Fort Dodge is home to 36,886 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $153,800. 3% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Renters pay $785 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $68,975, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Fort Dodge
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree13.7% → 22.0%(+8.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
White share96.5% → 83.9%(−12.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
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)17.9%(304)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.5%(348)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.6%(535)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War9.3%(157)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(29)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,695 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
Fort Dodge, decade by decade
Fort Dodge 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
40,342
$56,862
$89,283
13.7%
8.5
2000
40,235
$64,366
$120,047
16.9%
18.1
2010
38,013
$58,702
$123,142
18.0%
23.4
2020
36,999
$62,916
$130,779
21.1%
34.3
2024
36,886
$68,975
$153,800
22.0%
36.0
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.
