STATE · ADMITTED 1846 · 1990 CENSUS

Iowa

2,776,755 residents · 99 counties · 1026 cities · 55,857 sq mi · 896 census tracts

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The short version

Iowa is home to 2,776,755 people. Median home value sits at $45,500. Density works out to 50 people per square mile. 70% of homes are owner-occupied. Renters pay $336 a month at the median. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

2,776,755

−5%vs 2000

vs 2,926,324 in 2000

1990 – 2024

Population density

50 / sq mi

−5%vs 2000

vs 52 / sq mi in 2000

US average: 221

Median age

34.1

−7%vs 2000

vs 36.6 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

55,857 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

20243.2M

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57%(193,229)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.5%(209,491)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.3%(203,574)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.2%(199,450)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247%(194,213)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.5%(430,991)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.3%(397,326)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.8%(272,972)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649%(249,660)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.2%(228,178)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.2%(143,270)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2%(54,401)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$26,229

−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $39,469 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$12,422

−37%vs 2000

vs $19,674 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.5%

+2.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$45,500

−27%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $82,100 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$336

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $470 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

70.0%

−2.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 72.3% in 2000

30.0% rent

Afford Score

1.7

1990 – 2024

Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic92.6%(2,710,344)

Black2.1%(60,744)

Hispanic / Latino2.8%(82,473)

Asian1.2%(36,345)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic96.1%(2,667,366)

Black1.7%(46,651)

Hispanic / Latino1.1%(30,642)

Asian0.9%(23,970)

Other0.3%(8,126)

Diversity Score

1990 – 2024

Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican5%(161,275)

Central American1%(33,019)

Guatemalan0.4%(14,308)

Puerto Rican0.3%(11,157)

Salvadoran0.3%(10,667)

South American0.2%(7,029)

Honduran0.2%(5,515)

Cuban0.1%(4,581)

Spaniard0.1%(3,024)

Colombian0.1%(2,662)

Dominican0.1%(1,659)

Ecuadorian0%(1,104)

+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data

Nicaraguan0%(1,096)

Peruvian0%(1,031)

Venezuelan0%(893)

Panamanian0%(800)

Chilean0%(620)

Costa Rican0%(555)

Argentine0%(353)

Bolivian0%(174)

Uruguayan0%(50)

Paraguayan0%(26)

Asian origin

Asian Indian0.5%(16,299)

Chinese0.3%(10,253)

Vietnamese0.3%(8,783)

Burmese0.3%(8,448)

Korean0.2%(6,616)

Filipino0.2%(6,275)

Laotian0.2%(5,973)

Nepalese0.1%(2,406)

Thai0%(1,359)

Japanese0%(1,113)

Hmong0%(1,027)

Pakistani0%(873)

+ 12 more asian origin groups with data

Kazakh0%(825)

Cambodian0%(743)

Bhutanese0%(611)

Bangladeshi0%(608)

Taiwanese0%(550)

Sri Lankan0%(416)

Mongolian0%(373)

Indonesian0%(358)

Malaysian0%(229)

Uzbek0%(112)

Singaporean0%(68)

Okinawan0%(14)

Pacific Islander origin

Marshallese0.1%(1,806)

Native Hawaiian0%(1,546)

Chuukese0%(954)

Samoan0%(513)

Chamorro0%(409)

Tongan0%(105)

Fijian0%(24)

Guamanian0%(20)

Ancestry

German30.5%(980,649)

Irish12.8%(411,367)

English10.2%(327,821)

American4.6%(148,680)

Norwegian4.2%(135,794)

Dutch3.1%(101,069)

Swedish2.2%(71,093)

Italian2%(63,842)

Scottish1.5%(49,348)

French1.5%(47,610)

Czech1.4%(44,950)

Danish1.4%(44,541)

+ 51 more ancestry groups with data

Subsaharan African1.3%(40,413)

Polish1.2%(37,039)

Scotch-Irish0.6%(20,719)

Welsh0.5%(17,497)

Swiss0.4%(13,708)

British0.3%(9,558)

Arab0.3%(9,291)

Russian0.2%(7,795)

Belgian0.2%(6,622)

Greek0.2%(5,806)

French Canadian0.2%(5,787)

West Indian0.1%(4,277)

Hungarian0.1%(4,142)

Austrian0.1%(3,394)

Lebanese0.1%(3,357)

Croatian0.1%(3,093)

Ethiopian0.1%(2,652)

Ukrainian0.1%(2,579)

Finnish0.1%(2,578)

Nigerian0.1%(2,516)

Lithuanian0.1%(2,189)

Canadian0.1%(2,031)

Jamaican0.1%(2,016)

Somali0.1%(1,724)

Slovak0.1%(1,607)

Portuguese0%(1,579)

Kenyan0%(1,390)

Romanian0%(1,332)

Haitian0%(1,329)

Brazilian0%(1,115)

Egyptian0%(1,113)

Iranian0%(1,103)

Ghanaian0%(1,076)

Latvian0%(1,007)

Syrian0%(959)

Serbian0%(888)

Slovene0%(794)

Moroccan0%(652)

Bulgarian0%(602)

Australian0%(546)

Turkish0%(542)

Jordanian0%(536)

Palestinian0%(490)

Armenian0%(367)

Iraqi0%(346)

Israeli0%(252)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(208)

Macedonian0%(179)

Barbadian0%(125)

Guyanese0%(107)

Cape Verdean0%(17)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

16.9%

−4.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 21.2% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

80.1%

−6.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 86.1% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

5.2%

−1.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 6.5% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

20.6 min

+65%vs 2000

vs 12.5 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 married35.1%(456,622)

Married52.6%(684,570)

Widowed2.8%(36,271)

Divorced9.5%(123,354)

Women 15+

Never married28.5%(372,044)

Married51.2%(669,559)

Widowed8.8%(115,023)

Divorced11.5%(150,378)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.0%

−3.6 ptssince 2013

from 8.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

58.6%

−1.6 ptssince 2020

from 60.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

15.8%

−0.7 ptssince 2020

from 16.5% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

19.1%

+0.9 ptssince 2020

from 18.2% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

19.9%

+0.9 ptssince 2020

from 19.0% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.3%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 2.5% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

72.4%

−2.3 ptssince 2020

from 74.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

36.8%

+1.6 ptssince 2020

from 35.2% 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)21.6%(34,630)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(32,654)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era35.8%(57,549)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War5.4%(8,659)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II1.4%(2,255)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 160,571 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

Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in Iowa →

1.Des Moines212,086

2.Cedar Rapids137,935

3.Davenport100,358

4.Sioux City86,356

5.Ankeny77,833

6.Iowa City76,229

7.West Des Moines74,224

8.Ames68,220

9.Waterloo66,919

10.Council Bluffs62,680

11.Dubuque59,148

12.Urbandale48,570

13.Marion42,732

14.Cedar Falls41,240

15.Bettendorf40,710

16.Waukee34,890

17.Marshalltown27,536

18.Mason City26,853

19.Ottumwa25,319

20.Johnston25,065

21.Fort Dodge24,837

22.Clinton24,049

23.Coralville23,960

24.Burlington23,336

25.Muscatine23,164

26.Altoona22,796

27.North Liberty21,976

28.Clive19,861

29.Grimes17,405

30.Indianola16,829

31.Newton15,741

32.Norwalk15,004

33.Boone12,471

34.Storm Lake11,590

35.Oskaloosa11,493

36.Pleasant Hill11,239

37.Spencer11,218

38.Pella10,992

39.Le Mars10,760

40.Waverly10,561

41.Carroll10,085

42.Fort Madison9,935

43.Bondurant9,647

44.Keokuk9,510

45.Grinnell9,430

Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (8)

1.Des Moines758,539

2.Davenport380,452

3.Cedar Rapids279,285

4.Iowa City182,711

5.Waterloo169,189

6.Sioux City145,738

7.Ames128,090

8.Dubuque99,381

Micropolitan areas (15)

1.Mason City49,710

2.Clinton46,002

3.Burlington44,061

4.Muscatine41,853

5.Marshalltown39,890

6.Fort Dodge36,838

7.Ottumwa35,210

8.Pella34,192

9.Fort Madison32,306

10.Le Mars25,697

11.Oskaloosa21,880

12.Storm Lake20,449

13.Carroll20,303

14.Spirit Lake18,077

15.Spencer16,202

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

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