Decorah, IA

Census Place

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2021 Population

7,767

2% 1-year growth

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

34.1

3.96% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

9.29%

6.66% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$55,480

0.787% 1-year decline

2021 Median Property Value

$203,300

5.5% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

4,179

2.93% 1-year decline

About

In 2021, Decorah, IA had a population of 7.77k people with a median age of 34.1 and a median household income of $55,480. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Decorah, IA grew from 7,615 to 7,767, a 2% increase and its median household income declined from $55,920 to $55,480, a −0.787% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Decorah, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.1%), White (Hispanic) (2.23%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.69%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.64%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (1.25%).

None of the households in Decorah, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.7% of the residents in Decorah, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Decorah, IA are Luther College (460 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Decorah, IA was $203,300, and the homeownership rate was 65.7%.

Most people in Decorah, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 12.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Decorah, IA was 2 cars per household.

United States Iowa Winneshiek County, IA Bremer, Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, Allamakee, Chickasaw & Howard Counties PUMA, IA

Population & Diversity

Decorah, IA is home to a population of 7.77k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2021, 3.82% of Decorah, IA residents were born outside of the country (297 people).

In 2021, there were 41.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.15k people) in Decorah, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 173 White (Hispanic) and 131 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%

2021 Citizenship

97.5%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 97.7% of Decorah, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Decorah, IA was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Decorah, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Decorah, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.15k ± 109
White (Hispanic)
173 ± 62
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
131 ± 56.4

3.35%

Hispanic Population

260 people

3.35% of the people in Decorah, IA are hispanic (260 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Decorah, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
41,634 ± 4,977 people
India
10,950 ± 2,565 people
Vietnam
8,674 ± 2,283 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 41,634 Iowa residents, followed by India with 10,950 and Vietnam with 8,674.

Foreign-Born Population

3.82%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

297 people

3.85%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

293 people

As of 2021, 3.82% of Decorah, IA residents (297 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Decorah, IA was 3.85%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Decorah, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
212 ± 75
Gulf War (2001-)
41 ± 42
Korea
37 ± 34

Decorah, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.17 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Decorah, IA employs 4.18k people. The largest industries in Decorah, IA are Educational Services (1,462 people), Manufacturing (462 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (445 people), and the highest paying industries are Public Administration ($73,500), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($42,344), and Manufacturing ($41,900).

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,335. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.439, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

4.18k

2021 Value

± 361

−2.93%

1 Year decline

± 12.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Decorah, IA declined at a rate of −2.93%, from 4.31k employees to 4.18k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Decorah, IA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (542 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (499 people), and Management Occupations (481 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Decorah, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.18k

2021 Value

± 361

−2.93%

1 Year decline

± 12.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Decorah, IA declined at a rate of −2.93%, from 4.31k employees to 4.18k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Decorah, IA, are Educational Services (1,462 people), Manufacturing (462 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (445 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Decorah, IA, though some of these residents may live in Decorah, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$31,230

Median earning men ± $2,838

$20,114

Median earning women ± $6,031

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Manufacturing ($41,635), Construction ($41,339), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($40,556).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($72,625), Manufacturing ($42,188), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($40,885).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

Meat/seafood
$20.6B
Mixed freight
$19.9B
Machinery
$19.1B

In 2020, the top outbound Iowa product (by dollars) was Meat/seafood with $20.6B, followed by Mixed freight ($19.9B) and Machinery ($19.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Iowa products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Iowa.

$252B

2020 Value in Iowa

$518B

Projected 2050 Value in Iowa

105% growth

In 2020, total outbound Iowa trade was $252B. This is expected to increase 105% to $518B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Iowa trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Most Common Trade Partners

Illinois
$21.2B
Minnesota
$16.2B
Texas
$10.8B

In 2020, the top outbound Iowa domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $21.2B, followed by Minnesota with $16.2B and Texas and $10.8B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Iowa shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 52.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.16%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Decorah, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (52.8%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.16%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 52.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.16%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Decorah, IA awarded 460 degrees. The student population of Decorah, IA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 757 male students and 987 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Decorah, IA are White (362 and 86.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (26 and 6.22%), Two or More Races (13 and 3.11%), and Asian (11 and 2.63%).

The largest universities in Decorah, IA by number of degrees awarded are Luther College (460 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Decorah, IA are Registered Nursing (39 and 8.48%), General Business Administration & Management (33 and 7.17%), and General Biological Sciences (32 and 6.96%).

The median tuition cost in Decorah, IA for private four year colleges is $46,130.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in Decorah, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 1,744 (43.4% men and 56.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2021 there were 1,744 students enrolled in Decorah, IA, 43.4% men and 56.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,314 records, of which 61.3% were women and 38.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
39 degree-majors awarded
General Business Administration & Management
33 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
32 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Decorah, IA was Registered Nursing with 39 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Decorah, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Luther College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

460 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Luther College with 460 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 186 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Decorah, IA, which is 0.679 times less than the 274 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 362 degrees mean that there were 13.9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 26 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($46,130) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($630) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,040) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Measure

In 2021, 0.63% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.621% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (742k), Some college (567k), and Bachelors Degree (459k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Decorah, IA was $203,300 in 2021, which is 0.83 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $192,700 to $203,300, a 5.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Decorah, IA is 65.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Decorah, IA have an average commute time of 12.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Decorah, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Decorah, IA is $55,480. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Decorah, IA was Census Tract 9504 with a value of $72,404, followed by Census Tract 9503 and Census Tract 9502, with respective values of $57,375 and $56,711.

Housing

Property

$203,300

Median Property Value 2021

±$12,767

$1,881

Median Property Taxes

±$226

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Decorah, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Decorah, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65.7%

Homeownership

2021

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 65.7% of the housing units in Decorah, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Decorah, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9504
Census Tract 9503
Census Tract 9502

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Decorah, IA was Census Tract 9504 with a value of $72,404, followed by Census Tract 9503 and Census Tract 9502, with respective values of $57,375 and $56,711.

The following map shows all of the places in Decorah, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,480

Median Household Income

± $3,994

2.87k

Number of Households

± 312

In 2021, the median household income of the 2.87k households in Decorah, IA declined from $55,480 from the previous year's value of $55,920.

The following chart displays the households in Decorah, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Decorah, IA is from Iowa.

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.438

2020 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2021, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.221% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (53.1%)
Walked (31.3%)
Worked At Home (8.23%)

In 2021, 53.1% of workers in Decorah, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (31.3%) and those who worked at home (8.23%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

12.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Decorah, IA have a shorter commute time (12.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.12% of the workforce in Decorah, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Decorah, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Decorah, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Decorah, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.29% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Decorah, IA (531 out of 5.72k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Decorah, IA is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.6% of the population of Decorah, IA has health coverage, with 54.1% on employee plans, 8.01% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 18.1% on non-group plans, and 0.773% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Winneshiek County, IA see 909 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.11% decrease from the previous year (910 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1528 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 389 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Winneshiek County, IA.

909 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Winneshiek County, IA

Primary care physicians in Winneshiek County, IA see an average of 909 patients per year. This represents a 0.11% decrease from the previous year (910 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Winneshiek County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 31.5% between 18 and 34 years, 26.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.37%

Uninsured

54.1%

Employer Coverage

8.01%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

18.1%

Non-Group

0.773%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Decorah, IA declined by 1.19% from 2.4% to 2.37%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Decorah, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.