United States › Spirit Lake MICROPOLITAN AREA
Spirit Lake Micro Spirit Lake, IA · 1 counties · 18,077 residents (2025 est.) · 381 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Spirit Lake is home to 17,990 people. At a median age of 48.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. 1% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Owners hold 77% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 17 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 48.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 57%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,424 in 2000
18,077 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 43 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 43.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K 16K 16K 17K 18K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Spirit Lake Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $75,432
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,020 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $21,929 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 6.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.423 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.4%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Education & health services 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$270,700
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $94,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$922
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $416 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 78.0% in 2000
22.5% rent
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.00 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.01 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 20.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.2 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 98.4%(16,164)
Hispanic / Latino 0.7%(109)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 93.4%(16,795)
Hispanic / Latino 2.9%(513)
from 5 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 14 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 Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 21.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 89.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 77.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 4.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 68.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 82.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 34.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 12.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 78.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 92.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 23.6%(1,788)
Women 15+
Never married 18.1%(1,375)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 50.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 23.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 26.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 39.2% 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) 19.1%(221)
Gulf War (1990s) 17.4%(202)
Share of the 1,159 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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In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
Metros similar to Spirit Lake Head to head
Compare Spirit Lake side by side SPIRIT LAKE VS
Bishop
Income $73,991 −2%
Home value $348,700 +29%
Population 18,158 same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SPIRIT LAKE VS
Andrews
Income $72,242 −4%
Home value $195,700 −28%
Population 18,914 +5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SPIRIT LAKE VS
Carroll
Income $72,930 −3%
Home value $176,000 −35%
Population 20,303 +12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SPIRIT LAKE VS
Port Lavaca
Income $79,959 +6%
Home value $171,200 −37%
Population 19,599 +8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Spirit Lake, IA? Spirit Lake, IA has about 17,990 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Spirit Lake, IA? The typical household in Spirit Lake, IA earns about $75,432 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Spirit Lake, IA expensive? In Spirit Lake, IA, the median home is worth about $270,700, and the typical rent is about $922 a month.
How educated are people in Spirit Lake, IA? About 31.2% of adults age 25 and over in Spirit Lake, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Spirit Lake, IA? About 7.6% of people in Spirit Lake, IA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Spirit Lake, IA grown since 1990? Yes, Spirit Lake, IA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,081 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.
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