Norwalk, Polk County, Warren County, Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Norwalk, 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 Norwalk, Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Norwalk, Iowa. The estimated population of Norwalk, Iowa is 12,592 people, with a median age of 36.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
12,592
+9.81%
+23.71%
2020
11,467
+4.45%
-
2019
10,978
+3.88%
-
2018
10,568
+3.82%
-
2017
10,179
- -

Population of Norwalk, 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
94.1%
96.3%
-2.28%
Black/African American
1.3%
0.2%
+550.00%
Native
0%
0.3%
-100.00%
Hispanic
1.9%
2%
-5.00%
Asian
0.5%
0.3%
+66.67%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
0.7%
+200.00%
Other
0.1%
0.1%
0.00%

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 Norwalk, 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 36 -0.55% 33.8 +0.6% 37.5 -4.09%
2020 36.2 +1.69% 33.6 +2.75% 39.1 +4.55%
2019 35.6 -1.66% 32.7 0% 37.4 -3.86%
2018 36.2 +1.12% 32.7 -1.51% 38.9 +3.73%
2017 35.8 - 33.2 - 37.5 -

The median age of Norwalk, 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 9 799 +15.62% 650 +23.97% 922 795
10 to 19 937 1.14% 675 +56.99% 923 1,148
20 to 29 600 +27.69% 591 -0.1% 782 586
30 to 39 756 +24.42% 753 +17.55% 945 889
40 to 49 741 +7.87% 694 +29.59% 776 916
50 to 59 639 +20.08% 718 +20.55% 772 867
60 to 69 420 +33.02% 452 +34.43% 539 617
70+ 312 +33.58% 442 +49.36% 429 686

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Norwalk, Iowa is $91,610.00.

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 Norwalk.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $101,985.00
  • 45 to 64
    $97,863.00
  • 65 and over
    $42,227.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Norwalk, 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 Norwalk, Iowa is currently $108,747.00.

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.

10.61% of households in Norwalk 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 Norwalk against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.45%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    13.70%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    12.81%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    20.11%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.75%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    13.57%
  • $200,000 or more
    10.61%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Norwalk is $42,354.00.

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

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

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Norwalk 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
    16.80%
  • Bachelor's degree
    40.71%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.61%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    30.95%
  • Less than high school diploma
    0.92%

Employment

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

The total population of Norwalk over the age of 16 is 9,337.

Of those people, a total of 76.10% 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 Norwalk is 73.40%.

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 533 60.00% 7.20%
20 to 24 years 562 89.70% 4.80%
25 to 29 years 806 84.10% 2.20%
30 to 34 years 931 93.70% 1.90%
35 to 44 years 1,868 97.90% 1.50%
45 to 54 years 1,563 88.50% 1.50%
55 to 59 years 803 80.40% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 817 77.00% 13.20%
65 to 74 years 792 24.50% 13.40%
75 years and over 662 7.60% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Norwalk. 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 9,013 75.90% 3.30%
Black or African American 117 47.90% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 67 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 13 100.00% 100.00%
Two or more races 127 100.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 117 80.30% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 8,896 75.90% 3.30%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Norwalk is 6,853, with median earnings of $53,808.00.

Women in Norwalk, Iowa earning approximately 65.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 6,853 $53,808.00
Male 3,386 $63,101.00
Female 3,467 $41,250.00

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 867 $88,625.00
Business and Financial 530 $63,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 336 $94,821.00
Architecture and Engineering 88 $80,500.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 16 $0.00
Community and Social Service 185 $57,250.00
Legal 35 $138,194.00
Educational and Library 587 $48,188.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 144 $35,515.00
Healthcare Practitioners 350 $56,447.00
Healthcare Support 138 $42,969.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 92 $100,682.00
Food Preparation and Serving 270 $14,524.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 177 $29,012.00
Personal Care and Service 255 $16,089.00
Sales 736 $55,395.00
Office and Administrative Support 739 $34,814.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 151 $112,721.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 242 $94,444.00
Production 232 $48,952.00
Transportation and Material Moving 361 $32,004.00

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 555 $95,508.00 312 $84,032.00
Business and Financial 244 $106,250.00 286 $57,946.00
Computer and Mathematical 205 $110,799.00 131 $66,771.00
Architecture and Engineering 88 $80,500.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 16 $0.00
Community and Social Service 116 $62,500.00 69 $53,150.00
Legal 11 $0.00 24 $0.00
Educational and Library 85 $52,614.00 502 $45,294.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 29 $17,417.00 115 $35,721.00
Healthcare Practitioners 33 $0.00 317 $47,188.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 138 $42,969.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 92 $100,682.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 149 $20,322.00 121 $8,750.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 142 $29,718.00 35 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 9 $0.00 246 $15,726.00
Sales 408 $77,303.00 328 $20,064.00
Office and Administrative Support 204 $18,750.00 535 $35,532.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 107 $62,270.00 44 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 197 $88,482.00 45 $0.00
Production 214 $49,565.00 18 $0.00
Transportation and Material Moving 231 $56,292.00 130 $27,143.00

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 4,818 households in Norwalk, with an average household size of 2.59 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 3,200 families in Norwalk with an average family size of 3.23 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 2,597 232 371 1,618
Average Household Size 3.25 4.16 3.09 1.19
Total Families 2,597 232 371 0
Average Household Size 3.25 3.52 2.96 0

Poverty

Of the 3,200 families in Norwalk, 1.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Norwalk:

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 4,979 housing units in Norwalk, Iowa.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 4,818 96.77%
Vacant 161 3.23%

17.31% of the total 4,979 housing units in Norwalk are rental units. This is approximately 862 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,939 are occupied by the owner - or 79.11% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Norwalk is $907.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Norwalk 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
    17
  • Less than $500
    129
  • $500 to $999
    356
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    261
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    116
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Norwalk is $236,600.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    25
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    24
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    603
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    998
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    980
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,041
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    235
  • $1,000,000 or more
    33

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    197
  • 1940 to 1949
    12
  • 1950 to 1959
    288
  • 1960 to 1969
    371
  • 1970 to 1979
    599
  • 1980 to 1989
    553
  • 1990 to 1999
    542
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,120
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,248
  • 2014 or later
    49

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 Norwalk that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    76
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,268
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,241
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,233

Commuting to Work

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

23.1 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Norwalk.

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
    232
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    617
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    600
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,027
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,514
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    576
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    711
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    109
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    127
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    214
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    104
  • 90 or more minutes
    135

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Norwalk, 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.