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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Iowa City Metro

Iowa City, IA · 2 counties · 131,676 residents · 1,182 sq mi
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The short version

Iowa City is a metro area of 131,676 people. This is an unusually credentialed place: 43% of adults have a four-year degree. This skews young, with a median age of 30.0. Owners hold 60% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 12 minutes. Growth has run 14% since 1990, or 15,945 more people.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 30.0
US median: 35.2
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

131,676
+14%since 1990
from 115,731 in 1990
1990 – 2025
111 / sq mi
+14%since 1990
from 98 / sq mi in 1990
30.0
+5%since 1990
from 28.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,182 sq mi
Population, 19902024
109K128K147K167K186K19902000201020202024Iowa City
2024179K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.9%(7,810)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95.9%(7,752)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.7%(7,570)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 199.4%(12,353)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2414.9%(19,670)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.8%(20,793)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.4%(18,912)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.4%(16,290)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.5%(8,567)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.5%(5,947)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.2%(4,259)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.3%(1,753)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$39,910
+10%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $27,516 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$21,592
+58%since 1990
from $13,651 in 1990
US average: $21,522
13.8%
−2.0 ptssince 1990
from 15.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$117,499
+26%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $70,872 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$542
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $393 in 1990
US average: $602
59.6%
+3.7 ptssince 1990
from 55.9% in 1990
40.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic94.4%(109,255)
Black1.8%(2,086)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(1,342)
Asian3.3%(3,786)
2000
White, non-Hispanic90%(118,457)
Black2.4%(3,206)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(3,345)
Asian3.5%(4,608)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(75)
Cambodian0%(31)
Pakistani0%(30)
Burmese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(39)
Tongan0%(11)
Ancestry
German28.2%(50,457)
Irish14.2%(25,473)
English11.5%(20,610)
Norwegian3.6%(6,396)
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)
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)
Israeli0%(77)
Canadian0%(74)
Slovene0%(73)
Syrian0%(57)
Somali0%(53)
Turkish0%(53)
Haitian0%(52)
Iraqi0%(49)
Latvian0%(45)
Guyanese0%(43)
Armenian0%(41)
Ethiopian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

42.7%
+4.2 ptssince 1990
from 38.5% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
91.9%
+3.6 ptssince 1990
from 88.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
18.8%
+1.8 ptssince 1990
from 17.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

11.6 min
−38%since 1990
from 18.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.3%(21,984)
Married50.4%(26,860)
Widowed1.4%(769)
Divorced6.9%(3,680)
Women 15+
Never married37.5%(20,730)
Married47.5%(26,316)
Widowed6.8%(3,747)
Divorced8.2%(4,553)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

5.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
64.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 65.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
14.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
14.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(1,261)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32%(1,854)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(325)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.5%(147)
US avg: 1%

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.

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Iowa City, IA?

Iowa City, IA has about 131,676 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Iowa City, IA?

The typical household in Iowa City, IA earns about $39,910 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 $117,499, and the typical rent is about $542 a month.

How educated are people in Iowa City, IA?

About 42.7% 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 13.8% 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 15,945 residents, a change of about 14 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 →