Altoona, IA

Census Place

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2024 Population
21,495
US Senator
Chuck Grassley
Republican Party
US Senator
Joni Ernst
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.1
1.69% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
8.31%
15.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$86,114
1.16% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$274,600
6.72% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
10,716
1.32% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Altoona, 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.

98.1% of the residents in Altoona, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Altoona, IA was $274,600, and the homeownership rate was 68.7%.

Most people in Altoona, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Altoona, IA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesIowaPolk County, IADes Moines-West Des Moines, IAPolk County (East)--Ankeny & Altoona Cities PUMA, IA

Population & Diversity

Altoona, IA is home to a population of 21.5k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.02% of Altoona, IA residents were born outside of the country (1.08k people).

In 2024, there were 15.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.6k people) in Altoona, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.11k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 832 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.1%
2024 Citizenship
97.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.1% of Altoona, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Altoona, IA was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Altoona, IA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    17.6k ± 932
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.11k ± 778
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    832 ± 392
6.49%
Hispanic Population
1.4k people

In 2024, there were 15.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.6k people) in Altoona, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.11k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 832 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.49% of the people in Altoona, IA are hispanic (1.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Altoona, IA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    42,808 ± 5,046 people
  2. India
    12,283 ± 2,716 people
  3. China
    7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.02%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.08k people
5.24%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.08k people

As of 2024, 5.02% of Altoona, IA residents (1.08k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Altoona, IA was 5.24%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (1990s)
    629 ± 271
  2. Vietnam
    340 ± 114
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    331 ± 165

Altoona, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.85 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Altoona, IA.

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Economy

The economy of Altoona, IA employs 10.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Altoona, IA were Retail Trade (1,850 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,583 people), and Finance & Insurance (1,201 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($90,450), Public Administration ($86,899), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,529).

Employment

Occupations

10.7k
2024 Value
± 902
1.32%
1 Year growth
± 11.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Altoona, IA grew at a rate of 1.32%, from 10.6k employees to 10.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Altoona, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,402 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,111 people), and Management Occupations (1,013 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Altoona, IA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

10.7k
2024 Value
± 902
1.32%
1 Year growth
± 11.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Altoona, IA grew at a rate of 1.32%, from 10.6k employees to 10.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Altoona, IA, are Retail Trade (1,850 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,583 people), and Finance & Insurance (1,201 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Altoona, IA, though some of these residents may live in Altoona, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$62,083
Median earning men ± $6,976
$50,658
Median earning women ± $5,687

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($97,950), Wholesale Trade ($90,750), and Public Administration ($90,360).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($102,569), Public Administration ($78,750), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($73,636).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Y-Axis
1.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

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

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

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

Voting results are not available for Altoona, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (42.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Chuck Grassley
Senator from Iowa3
Assumed office on January 3, 1981
Joni Ernst
Senator from Iowa2
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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Altoona, IA was $274,600 in 2024, which is 0.825 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $257,300 to $274,600, a 6.72% increase. The homeownership rate in Altoona, IA is 68.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Altoona, IA have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Altoona, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$274,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$10,844
$5,830
Median Property Taxes
±$547

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 Altoona, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

68.7%
Homeownership
2024
60.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 68.7% of the housing units in Altoona, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.3%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$86,114
Median Household Income
± $12,409
8.49k
Number of Households
± 768

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.49k households in Altoona, IA declined from $86,114 from the previous year's value of $87,123.

The following chart displays the households in Altoona, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Altoona, IA is from Iowa.
0.441
2023 Wage GINI in Iowa
0.442
2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (81%)
  2. Worked At Home (13%)
  3. Carpooled (3.7%)

In 2024, 81% of workers in Altoona, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13%) and those who carpooled to work (3.7%).

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.

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Commute Time

22.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Altoona, IA have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.39% of the workforce in Altoona, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.31% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Altoona, IA (1.76k out of 21.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females < 5 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Altoona, IA is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

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.

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Health

97.5% of the population of Altoona, IA has health coverage, with 57.9% on employee plans, 12.6% on Medicaid, 12.2% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 0.913% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.6% under 18 years, 22% between 18 and 34 years, 34.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

2.53%
Uninsured
57.9%
Employer Coverage
12.6%
Medicaid
12.2%
Medicare
13.9%
Non-Group
0.913%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Altoona, IA grew by 35.7% from 1.87% to 2.53%.

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

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