METRO AREA
Iowa City Metro
Iowa City, IA · 2 counties · 182,711 residents (2025 est.) · 1,182 sq mi
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The short version
With 179,200 people, Iowa City is a metro area. This skews young, with a median age of 32.2. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. Growth has run 36% since 2000, or 47,524 more people. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 38%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
179,200
+36%since 2000
from 131,676 in 2000
182,711 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,182 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024179K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(9,766)
5 to 95.9%(10,521)
10 to 145.3%(9,463)
15 to 198.6%(15,419)
20 to 2413.8%(24,807)
25 to 3414.4%(25,732)
35 to 4412.4%(22,285)
45 to 5410%(17,924)
55 to 6410%(17,911)
65 to 748.4%(15,078)
75 to 844.1%(7,355)
85 and over1.6%(2,939)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$75,025
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,910 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
50.1%
+19.2 ptssince 2009
from 30.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.7%
Retail trade8%
Other services5.5%
Public administration4.4%
Wholesale trade4.3%
Finance & insurance3.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
Construction1.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Education & health services0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$295,418
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $117,499 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.9
+18%since 2009
from 3.3 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.
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic90%(118,457)
Black2.4%(3,206)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(3,345)
Asian3.5%(4,608)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic76.6%(137,199)
Black6.8%(12,166)
Hispanic / Latino6.9%(12,303)
Asian5%(8,906)
Other4.8%(8,626)
50
+78%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
28
−3%since 2020
from 29 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
Mexican4.1%(7,427)
Central American0.8%(1,521)
South American0.7%(1,086)
Puerto Rican0.5%(869)
Colombian0.4%(697)
Salvadoran0.3%(472)
Honduran0.3%(457)
Guatemalan0.2%(401)
Spaniard0.1%(169)
Ecuadorian0.1%(112)
Panamanian0.1%(107)
Cuban0.1%(89)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(88)
Nicaraguan0.1%(84)
Chilean0%(71)
Dominican0%(70)
Bolivian0%(43)
Peruvian0%(41)
Argentine0%(34)
Asian origin
Chinese1.4%(2,541)
Asian Indian1.1%(1,939)
Korean0.6%(1,068)
Vietnamese0.7%(1,059)
Filipino0.3%(536)
Laotian0.1%(179)
Taiwanese0.1%(172)
Japanese0.1%(158)
Nepalese0.1%(157)
Hmong0.1%(132)
Uzbek0.1%(79)
Indonesian0%(77)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(75)
Singaporean0%(68)
Bangladeshi0%(50)
Sri Lankan0%(47)
Cambodian0%(31)
Pakistani0%(30)
Burmese0%(12)
Ancestry
German28.2%(50,457)
Irish14.2%(25,473)
English11.5%(20,610)
Norwegian3.6%(6,396)
Subsaharan African3.3%(5,943)
American3.2%(5,822)
Italian2.8%(5,038)
Czech2.5%(4,497)
Swedish2.5%(4,405)
Polish2.1%(3,686)
Dutch1.8%(3,293)
Scottish1.7%(3,098)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
French1.3%(2,340)
Danish1.1%(1,991)
Swiss1%(1,779)
Arab1%(1,614)
Welsh0.7%(1,299)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,278)
British0.4%(703)
French Canadian0.4%(638)
Russian0.4%(609)
Greek0.3%(525)
Belgian0.2%(435)
Lithuanian0.2%(400)
Hungarian0.2%(390)
Kenyan0.2%(358)
Palestinian0.2%(332)
Jordanian0.2%(324)
Lebanese0.2%(292)
West Indian0.2%(292)
Ukrainian0.2%(271)
Nigerian0.1%(255)
Iranian0.2%(249)
Ghanaian0.2%(242)
Slovak0.1%(218)
Croatian0.1%(211)
Austrian0.1%(210)
Brazilian0.1%(174)
Finnish0.1%(166)
Egyptian0.1%(161)
Serbian0.1%(138)
Romanian0.1%(111)
Jamaican0.1%(107)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(96)
Israeli0%(77)
Canadian0%(74)
Portuguese0%(74)
Slovene0%(73)
Syrian0%(57)
Somali0%(53)
Turkish0%(53)
Haitian0%(52)
Iraqi0%(49)
Latvian0%(45)
Guyanese0%(43)
Armenian0%(41)
Australian0%(29)
Ethiopian0%(11)
Bulgarian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
95.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 91.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 79.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 94.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married45.6%(33,576)
Married47.1%(34,685)
Widowed1.9%(1,406)
Divorced5.4%(3,995)
Women 15+
Never married40.8%(30,948)
Married43.8%(33,217)
Widowed5.4%(4,125)
Divorced9.9%(7,498)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
18.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 80.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.9%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 26.1% 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)29%(1,678)
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(1,261)
Vietnam era32%(1,854)
Korean War5.6%(325)
World War II2.5%(147)
Share of the 5,795 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
What's inside
2 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Iowa City
Eau Claire
Pop 176,647
Oshkosh
Pop 174,218
Dover
Pop 194,786
La Crosse
Pop 171,182
Places similar to Iowa CityHead to head
Compare Iowa City side by side
IOWA CITY VS
Eau Claire
Income$74,597−1%
Home value$259,809−12%
Population176,647−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IOWA CITY VS
Oshkosh
Income$74,925same
Home value$225,800−24%
Population174,218−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IOWA CITY VS
Dover
Income$74,477−1%
Home value$316,600+7%
Population194,786+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IOWA CITY VS
La Crosse
Income$73,555−2%
Home value$248,970−16%
Population171,182−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Iowa City, IA?
Iowa City, IA has about 179,200 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Iowa City, IA?
The typical household in Iowa City, IA earns about $75,025 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Iowa City, IA expensive?
In Iowa City, IA, the median home is worth about $295,418, and the typical rent is about $1,091 a month.
How educated are people in Iowa City, IA?
About 51.5% of adults age 25 and over in Iowa City, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Iowa City, IA?
About 16.0% of people in Iowa City, IA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Iowa City, IA grown since 1990?
Yes, Iowa City, IA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 63,469 residents, a change of about 55 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024