Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Iowa, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Iowa. The estimated population of Iowa is 3,179,090 people, with a median age of 38.3.

We can look at the total population in Iowa over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
3,179,090
+0.92%
+1.96%
2020
3,150,011
+0.33%
-
2019
3,139,508
+0.22%
-
2018
3,132,499
+0.46%
-
2017
3,118,102
 - -

Population of Iowa by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
84.4%
86.5%
 -2.43%
Black/African American
3.7%
3.3%
 +12.12%
Native
0.2%
0.3%
 -33.33%
Hispanic
6.4%
5.7%
 +12.28%
Asian
2.5%
2.3%
 +8.70%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.6%
1.7%
 +52.94%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Iowa by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.3 0% 37.4 +0.54% 39.2 -0.51%
2020 38.3 +0.26% 37.2 +0.54% 39.4 0%
2019 38.2 +0.26% 37 +0.27% 39.4 +0.25%
2018 38.1 0% 36.9 +0.27% 39.3 -0.25%
2017 38.1 - 36.8 - 39.4 -

The median age of Iowa gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 205,588 -0.25% 196,022 -0.85% 205,050 194,370
10 to 19 215,622 +2.77% 204,152 +4.41% 221,534 213,245
20 to 29 215,958 +1.26% 205,594 +0.45% 218,663 206,494
30 to 39 196,772 +4.49% 190,055 +3.06% 205,743 195,932
40 to 49 185,112 +1.11% 181,684 -1.08% 187,034 179,728
50 to 59 209,678 -4.16% 213,689 -6.38% 201,050 200,395
60 to 69 173,865 +10.73% 179,157 +8.36% 193,234 194,606
70+ 145,440 +8.18% 199,714 +2.34% 157,693 204,319

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Iowa is $65,429.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Iowa.

  • Under 25
    $38,555.00
  • 25 to 44
    $74,654.00
  • 45 to 64
    $79,713.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,401.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Iowa, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Iowa, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Iowa is currently $84,948.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.75% of households in Iowa are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Iowa against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    16.63%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    21.22%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.82%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.21%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.96%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.41%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.75%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Iowa is $34,817.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Iowa by the total population of Iowa.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Iowa, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Iowa to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    11.00%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.37%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.70%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    43.16%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.77%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Iowa that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Iowa over the age of 16 is 2,523,649.

Of those people, a total of 66.90% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Iowa is 64.20%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 178,758 51.40% 10.90%
20 to 24 years 225,007 79.30% 6.90%
25 to 29 years 200,150 86.70% 3.90%
30 to 34 years 194,581 87.00% 3.40%
35 to 44 years 392,662 87.80% 3.50%
45 to 54 years 371,831 86.30% 2.90%
55 to 59 years 210,808 79.70% 2.70%
60 to 64 years 209,310 64.10% 2.00%
65 to 74 years 313,218 29.30% 2.70%
75 years and over 227,324 7.40% 1.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Iowa. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 2,259,790 66.50% 3.40%
Black or African American 83,950 68.30% 11.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 8,001 59.40% 9.80%
Asian 63,062 70.70% 4.20%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2,981 66.00% 7.20%
Other 33,882 75.10% 6.20%
Two or more races 71,983 72.10% 7.50%
Hispanic or Latino 132,487 75.60% 6.30%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,186,847 66.20% 3.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Iowa as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Iowa is 1,620,796, with median earnings of $40,764.00.

Women in Iowa earning approximately 69.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,620,796 $40,764.00
Male 855,577 $47,960.00
Female 765,219 $33,473.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 172,496 $65,334.00
Business and Financial 84,553 $62,790.00
Computer and Mathematical 43,838 $76,073.00
Architecture and Engineering 28,743 $76,223.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 14,449 $56,323.00
Community and Social Service 26,634 $45,419.00
Legal 12,425 $81,266.00
Educational and Library 104,158 $42,207.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 22,893 $36,250.00
Healthcare Practitioners 98,991 $55,058.00
Healthcare Support 49,644 $25,066.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 11,775 $31,134.00
Law Enforcement 10,308 $63,452.00
Food Preparation and Serving 85,058 $12,587.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 51,598 $22,443.00
Personal Care and Service 44,964 $18,266.00
Sales 149,897 $33,284.00
Office and Administrative Support 176,267 $35,070.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 18,807 $32,551.00
Construction and Extraction 80,924 $44,326.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 56,263 $49,600.00
Production 135,227 $40,876.00
Transportation and Material Moving 64,134 $43,795.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 109,114 $73,571.00 63,382 $55,697.00
Business and Financial 36,167 $70,763.00 48,386 $57,126.00
Computer and Mathematical 31,830 $80,505.00 12,008 $65,828.00
Architecture and Engineering 24,865 $78,293.00 3,878 $62,060.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 8,408 $62,292.00 6,041 $53,195.00
Community and Social Service 8,608 $51,250.00 18,026 $43,253.00
Legal 5,934 $111,000.00 6,491 $56,765.00
Educational and Library 27,518 $52,334.00 76,640 $38,157.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 10,264 $41,601.00 12,629 $31,307.00
Healthcare Practitioners 19,361 $78,703.00 79,630 $52,634.00
Healthcare Support 6,145 $25,872.00 43,499 $24,858.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 8,368 $36,560.00 3,407 $14,315.00
Law Enforcement 8,245 $64,882.00 2,063 $55,030.00
Food Preparation and Serving 33,623 $13,171.00 51,435 $12,299.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 31,218 $27,498.00 20,380 $17,104.00
Personal Care and Service 7,492 $20,787.00 37,472 $17,874.00
Sales 76,513 $48,920.00 73,384 $21,635.00
Office and Administrative Support 41,913 $40,615.00 134,354 $34,047.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 15,252 $36,843.00 3,555 $19,125.00
Construction and Extraction 78,527 $44,626.00 2,397 $31,005.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 54,528 $50,079.00 1,735 $34,874.00
Production 97,002 $44,050.00 38,225 $32,404.00
Transportation and Material Moving 57,730 $45,950.00 6,404 $22,902.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 1,275,893 households in Iowa, with an average household size of 2.42 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 799,902 families in Iowa with an average family size of 3.02 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 629,781 54,235 115,886 475,991
Average Household Size 3.05 3.27 3.28 1.27
Total Families 629,781 54,235 115,886 0
Average Household Size 3.04 2.81 3.02 0

Poverty

Of the 799,902 families in Iowa, 7.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Iowa:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 1,407,100 housing units in Iowa.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 1,275,893 90.68%
Vacant 131,207 9.32%

24.24% of the total 1,407,100 housing units in Iowa are rental units. This is approximately 341,068 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 912,969 are occupied by the owner - or 64.88% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Iowa is $845.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Iowa that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    21,856
  • Less than $500
    42,801
  • $500 to $999
    188,696
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    82,011
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    18,716
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    4,861
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    1,157
  • $3,000 or more
    2,826

Property Value

The median value of a property in Iowa is $160,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Iowa that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    73,899
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    163,749
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    178,001
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    158,080
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    184,443
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    118,803
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    30,661
  • $1,000,000 or more
    5,333

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Iowa. The chart below shows the number of properties in Iowa that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    351,496
  • 1940 to 1949
    69,256
  • 1950 to 1959
    140,461
  • 1960 to 1969
    140,013
  • 1970 to 1979
    199,152
  • 1980 to 1989
    101,234
  • 1990 to 1999
    146,025
  • 2000 to 2009
    152,309
  • 2010 to 2013
    104,748
  • 2014 or later
    2,406

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Iowa that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    71,746
  • 1 vehicle available
    374,841
  • 2 vehicles available
    492,148
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    337,158

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Iowa get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Iowa that commute to work in a particular way.

19.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Iowa.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    95,207
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    252,902
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    263,312
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    249,907
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    203,907
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    91,308
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    129,413
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    29,377
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    33,241
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    59,915
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    33,379
  • 90 or more minutes
    22,244

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Iowa in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Iowa

We have data for 99 counties in Iowa. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Iowa

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Iowa, click on the links below.