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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Waterloo Metro

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA · 3 counties · 158,640 residents · 1,503 sq mi
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The short version

Waterloo is home to 158,640 people. The typical home is worth $43,796. Renters pay $316 a month at the median. About 17% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Median household income is $25,967, under the $30,130 national median. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.7
US median: 33.0
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
158,640
−3%vs 2000
vs 163,706 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
106 / sq mi
−3%vs 2000
vs 109 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.7
−5%vs 2000
vs 35.4 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,503 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
157K161K164K168K171K19902000201020202024Waterloo
2024169K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.5%(10,327)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.4%(11,757)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.3%(11,656)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198%(12,635)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 249%(14,215)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3413.8%(21,970)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.5%(23,051)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.1%(16,009)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.8%(13,915)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.1%(12,906)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.7%(7,469)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.7%(2,730)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$25,967
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $37,934 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,265
−35%vs 2000
vs $18,949 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
13.9%
+2.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 11.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$43,796
−26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $78,129 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$316
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $454 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
69.0%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 71.1% in 2000
31.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90%(147,256)
Black6.2%(10,228)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(2,561)
Asian0.9%(1,396)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic93.5%(148,312)
Black5.4%(8,606)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(936)
Asian0.7%(1,125)
Other0.4%(597)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.6%(4,376)
Central American0.9%(1,587)
Guatemalan0.7%(1,124)
Puerto Rican0.3%(588)
Cuban0.2%(218)
Salvadoran0.1%(160)
Costa Rican0.1%(154)
Dominican0.1%(119)
Colombian0.1%(112)
Honduran0.1%(98)
Venezuelan0.1%(91)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(75)
Spaniard0%(51)
Chilean0%(40)
Asian origin
Burmese0.9%(1,195)
Asian Indian0.4%(571)
Korean0.3%(444)
Vietnamese0.2%(411)
Filipino0.2%(327)
Chinese0.2%(282)
Pakistani0.1%(119)
Laotian0.1%(110)
Taiwanese0.1%(96)
Japanese0%(76)
Thai0%(48)
Cambodian0.1%(23)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.4%(499)
Samoan0%(18)
Chamorro0.1%(13)
Ancestry
German33.7%(56,864)
Irish11.5%(19,347)
English8.8%(14,782)
American5.2%(8,797)
Norwegian4.3%(7,216)
Dutch2%(3,329)
French1.5%(2,478)
Italian1.5%(2,454)
Czech1.4%(2,297)
Danish1.4%(2,288)
Swedish1.3%(2,159)
Scottish1.2%(2,089)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.8%(1,423)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(1,017)
Welsh0.5%(787)
Swiss0.4%(597)
West Indian0.3%(543)
British0.2%(362)
Haitian0.3%(359)
Arab0.2%(310)
Greek0.2%(272)
Belgian0.2%(270)
Russian0.1%(229)
Austrian0.1%(221)
Croatian0.1%(220)
Lebanese0.1%(178)
Hungarian0.1%(166)
Slovak0.1%(162)
Jamaican0.1%(117)
Iranian0.1%(97)
Canadian0.1%(88)
Ukrainian0%(69)
Ghanaian0.1%(66)
Brazilian0%(65)
Serbian0%(64)
Bulgarian0%(61)
Slovene0%(56)
Finnish0%(55)
Palestinian0.3%(35)
Nigerian0%(34)
Latvian0%(28)
Moroccan0%(24)
Somali0%(24)
Romanian0%(20)
Turkish0%(20)
Ethiopian0%(18)
Syrian0%(14)
Guyanese0%(12)
Kenyan0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.6%
−5.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 22.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
80.0%
−6.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 86.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
5.3%
−2.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.8 min
+64%vs 2000
vs 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38.4%(25,914)
Married50.3%(33,901)
Widowed2.5%(1,680)
Divorced8.8%(5,944)
Women 15+
Never married33.5%(23,536)
Married48.2%(33,862)
Widowed8.3%(5,807)
Divorced10.1%(7,072)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.3%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 62.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 18.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 75.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 36.2% 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)18.9%(1,440)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.5%(1,256)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.2%(2,989)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(382)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(11)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,630 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

WaterlooCENTRAL66,919Cedar FallsCENTRAL41,240Waverly10,561Evansdale4,463Hudson3,028Grundy Center2,814Jesup2,557La Porte City2,238Sumner2,022Denver1,954Reinbeck1,668Dike1,299Tripoli1,208Conrad1,086Elk Run Heights1,053Janesville1,052Readlyn860Dunkerton835Gilbertville786Raymond748Washburn714Wellsburg711Plainfield394Holland260Frederika207Stout191Beaman155Morrison100
What's inside

3 component counties

Black Hawk CountyCENTRAL131,532Bremer County25,296Grundy County12,361
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Waterloo

Odessa
Pop 173,801
La Crosse
Pop 171,182
Hanford
Pop 154,327
Grand Junction
Pop 162,845
Places similar to Waterloo
Head to head

Compare Waterloo side by side

WATERLOO VS
Odessa
Income$71,536+175%
Home value$200,200+357%
Population173,801+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERLOO VS
La Crosse
Income$73,555+183%
Home value$248,970+468%
Population171,182+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERLOO VS
Hanford
Income$70,995+173%
Home value$324,300+640%
Population154,327−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERLOO VS
Grand Junction
Income$73,658+184%
Home value$378,600+764%
Population162,845−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA has about 158,640 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The typical household in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA earns about $25,967 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA expensive?

In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, the median home is worth about $43,796, and the typical rent is about $316 a month.

How educated are people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

About 16.6% of adults age 25 and over in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

About 13.9% of people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA live below the federal poverty line.

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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 →