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Iowa

Population 3,210,507
6 Sources Updated September 10, 2026
3.2M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$75,059
Median Income
$80,734 national
$265.8B
GDP (current $), change real
3.2%
Unemployment
4.0% national
Community Data / United States / Iowa

County Map

Click a county to view its economic profile

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$75,059
Per Capita
$40,877
Mean Household
$98,187
Poverty Rate
11.1%

Age & Race / Ethnicity

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 18.1% (582,156 residents) 55-64: 12.6% (403,843 residents) 35-54: 23.9% (768,227 residents) 18-34: 22.5% (721,266 residents) Under 18: 22.9% (735,015 residents) 39 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 22.9%
18-34 · 22.5%
35-54 · 23.9%
55-64 · 12.6%
65+ · 18.1%
Race & Ethnicity
White84.1%
Two or More Races6.6%
Black or African American3.9%
Asian2.5%
Some Other Race2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander0.2%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)7.3%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
93.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+3.7 pts
31.4%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
4.3 pts
10.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
3.6 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
3,210,507
Population
1,699,994
Labor Force
Employed
1,639,141
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
3.2%
2025 is not shown for Iowa: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 7 min below national avg
19.8 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.3%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Iowa's median household income sits 7% below the national median. At 11.1%, its poverty rate runs 1.4 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 31.4% trails the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, affecting retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base statewide.
  • Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$265.8B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
87.762
Cost of Living - Below Avg

Top Private-Sector Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual · Private sector only, with government shown below
IndustryEmployment% of Top SectorsAvg Wage
1Manufacturing		 216,451 19.1%
$76,771
2Health Care and Social Assistance		 196,424 17.4%
$57,634
3Retail Trade		 172,840 15.3%
$36,085
4Accommodation and Food Services		 122,854 10.9%
$22,624
5Finance and Insurance		 90,561 8.0%
$109,888
6Construction		 85,010 7.5%
$77,646
7Wholesale Trade		 66,563 5.9%
$87,641
8Transportation and Warehousing		 62,884 5.6%
$59,718
9Administrative and Support and Waste Management		 59,605 5.3%
$52,417
10Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services		 58,026 5.1%
$96,453
Government employment · context only
250,142

Public-sector jobs are not in the table above and are not part of any share or location quotient on this page. Both are measured on the private economy only, 1,308,323 private jobs in 2025: every location quotient divides by that total, and the % of Top Sectors column divides by the sectors listed above. Private employment is the standard basis for measuring industry concentration because government employment mostly serves the resident population rather than an outside market. Nothing on this card is expected to add up with the government figure.

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Key Takeaways
  • Largest private-sector industry: Manufacturing employs 216,451 workers (19.1% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $76,771. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 250,142 and is counted separately.
  • Economic scale: State GDP of $265.8B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $109,888 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $22,624, a 4.9x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Chart source: BLS QCEW · broad NAICS supersector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share. The same supersector axes appear on every profile, so the shape can be compared across geographies.
Concentrated Industries
List source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share.
Same source and same private-sector basis as the Top Industries table above. These sit at a finer level than the chart's supersector axes, so the two sets of values are not directly comparable. The sub-sector view surfaces specialization the supersector view masks, such as Animal Production and Aquaculture here.
Animal Production and Aquaculture
4.39x
11,667
Machinery Manufacturing
3.53x
37,699
Food Manufacturing
3.45x
60,161
Wood Product Manufacturing
2.36x
9,330
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.34x
24,124
Primary Metal Manufacturing
1.89x
6,727
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
1.85x
47,064
Truck Transportation
1.72x
24,933
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
1.66x
11,442
Printing and Related Support Activities
1.61x
5,453
+ 2 more sub-sectors at LQ ≥ 1.5, holding a further 59,330 jobs. See the spider chart for the broader picture.

Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.09x
Forestry and Logging
41 employed
0.10x
Web Search Portals, Libraries, and Archives
170 employed
0.11x
Air Transportation
619 employed
0.26x
Water Transportation
175 employed
0.33x
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
351 employed
0.35x
Fishing, Hunting and Trapping
26 employed
0.42x
Private Households
855 employed
0.46x
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
2,566 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only. Industrial electricity in Iowa costs 7.2¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025). Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level. Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 4.39x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy.
  • Cluster depth: 12 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Industry Employment Composition
Iowa's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top private supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$208,000
Median Home Value vs 2019
$972
Rent/Mo
71.7%
Owner-Occ
8.5%
Vacancy
2.8x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)

Renter-household-weighted average across 99 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$844/mo$634 to $1,090
1 Bedroom
$902/mo$700 to $1,148
2 Bedroom
$1,112/mo$919 to $1,368
3 Bedroom
$1,477/mo$1,102 to $1,813
4 Bedroom
$1,658/mo$1,217 to $2,046
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,082/mo, from a renter median of $43,297) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 40.5% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 20.1% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.8x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction.
  • High home ownership: 71.7% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 2 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $43,297 can pay without cost burden (~$1,082/mo), and 40.5% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
1,893,336
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Labor force participation rate: 68.8% of population aged 18+ 69% Participation (18+)
vs 2019
Mean Commute 7 min below national avg
19.8 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.3%

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
31.4%
HS Diploma+
93.3%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
University of Iowa 9,271/yr
Iowa State University 8,469/yr
Des Moines Area Community College 4,028/yr
University of Northern Iowa 2,755/yr
Kirkwood Community College 2,365/yr
Western Iowa Tech Community College 1,848/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
21.3%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 12.6% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
39.4%
Service
15.1%
Sales & Office
19.1%
Construction / Maint.
9.5%
Production / Transport
16.9%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 40% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 1,639,141 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Healthy participation: 68.8% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
  • Short commutes: 19.8-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage for site selectors.
Source: ACS workforce data.

County Profiles

99 counties in Iowa

Adair County FIPS 19001 Adams County FIPS 19003 Allamakee County FIPS 19005 Appanoose County FIPS 19007 Audubon County FIPS 19009 Benton County FIPS 19011 Black Hawk County FIPS 19013 Boone County FIPS 19015 Bremer County FIPS 19017 Buchanan County FIPS 19019 Buena Vista County FIPS 19021 Butler County FIPS 19023 Calhoun County FIPS 19025 Carroll County FIPS 19027 Cass County FIPS 19029 Cedar County FIPS 19031 Cerro Gordo County FIPS 19033 Cherokee County FIPS 19035 Chickasaw County FIPS 19037 Clarke County FIPS 19039 Clay County FIPS 19041 Clayton County FIPS 19043 Clinton County FIPS 19045 Crawford County FIPS 19047 Dallas County FIPS 19049 Davis County FIPS 19051 Decatur County FIPS 19053 Delaware County FIPS 19055 Des Moines County FIPS 19057 Dickinson County FIPS 19059 Dubuque County FIPS 19061 Emmet County FIPS 19063 Fayette County FIPS 19065 Floyd County FIPS 19067 Franklin County FIPS 19069 Fremont County FIPS 19071 Greene County FIPS 19073 Grundy County FIPS 19075 Guthrie County FIPS 19077 Hamilton County FIPS 19079 Hancock County FIPS 19081 Hardin County FIPS 19083 Harrison County FIPS 19085 Henry County FIPS 19087 Howard County FIPS 19089 Humboldt County FIPS 19091 Ida County FIPS 19093 Iowa County FIPS 19095 Jackson County FIPS 19097 Jasper County FIPS 19099 Jefferson County FIPS 19101 Johnson County FIPS 19103 Jones County FIPS 19105 Keokuk County FIPS 19107 Kossuth County FIPS 19109 Lee County FIPS 19111 Linn County FIPS 19113 Louisa County FIPS 19115 Lucas County FIPS 19117 Lyon County FIPS 19119 Madison County FIPS 19121 Mahaska County FIPS 19123 Marion County FIPS 19125 Marshall County FIPS 19127 Mills County FIPS 19129 Mitchell County FIPS 19131 Monona County FIPS 19133 Monroe County FIPS 19135 Montgomery County FIPS 19137 Muscatine County FIPS 19139 O'Brien County FIPS 19141 Osceola County FIPS 19143 Page County FIPS 19145 Palo Alto County FIPS 19147 Plymouth County FIPS 19149 Pocahontas County FIPS 19151 Polk County FIPS 19153 Pottawattamie County FIPS 19155 Poweshiek County FIPS 19157 Ringgold County FIPS 19159 Sac County FIPS 19161 Scott County FIPS 19163 Shelby County FIPS 19165 Sioux County FIPS 19167 Story County FIPS 19169 Tama County FIPS 19171 Taylor County FIPS 19173 Union County FIPS 19175 Van Buren County FIPS 19177 Wapello County FIPS 19179 Warren County FIPS 19181 Washington County FIPS 19183 Wayne County FIPS 19185 Webster County FIPS 19187 Winnebago County FIPS 19189 Winneshiek County FIPS 19191 Woodbury County FIPS 19193 Worth County FIPS 19195 Wright County FIPS 19197

AI Insights

Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.

Sample AI Insight

Iowa shows meaningful potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 4.39x concentration and 11,667 jobs in this sub-sector.

Cluster depth across animal production and aquaculture, machinery manufacturing, and food manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Iowa, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Iowa?

3,210,507 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Iowa?

$75,059 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Iowa?

3.2% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Iowa?

$265.8B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).