Elma, IA

Census Place

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    2024 Population
    659
    US Senator
    Chuck Grassley
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Joni Ernst
    Republican Party
    2024 Median Age
    44.3
    7.71% 1-year decrease
    2024 Poverty Rate
    18.8%
    18.3% 1-year decrease
    2024 Median Household Income
    $44,375
    6.86% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $81,300
    13.9% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    285
    16.8% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Elma, 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.

    97.6% of the residents in Elma, IA are U.S. citizens.

    In 2024, the median property value in Elma, IA was $81,300, and the homeownership rate was 68.8%.

    Most people in Elma, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Elma, IA was 2 cars per household.

    United StatesIowaHoward County, IABremer, Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, Allamakee, Chickasaw & Howard Counties PUMA, IA

    Population & Diversity

    Elma, IA is home to a population of 659 people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.43% of Elma, IA residents were born outside of the country (16 people).

    In 2024, there were 63.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (636 people) in Elma, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 7 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    97.6%
    2024 Citizenship
    96.6%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 97.6% of Elma, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Elma, IA was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Elma, 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 Elma, IA
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      636 ± 133
    2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      10 ± 16
    3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
      7 ± 8
    1.37%
    Hispanic Population
    9 people

    In 2024, there were 63.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (636 people) in Elma, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 7 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    1.37% of the people in Elma, IA are hispanic (9 people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Elma, 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
      44,333 ± 5,134 people
    2. India
      11,889 ± 2,672 people
    3. Guatemala
      8,189 ± 2,219 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    2.43%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    16 people
    3.4%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    21 people

    As of 2024, 2.43% of Elma, IA residents (16 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 Elma, IA was 3.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      15 ± 17
    2. World War II
      7 ± 15

    Elma, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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    Health

    88.2% of the population of Elma, IA has health coverage, with 34% on employee plans, 19.5% on Medicaid, 22.5% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 0.478% 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, 44.7% were men and 55.3% were women.

    Coverage

    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.5% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 29.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.9% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.7% were men and 55.3% were women.

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

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    Uninsured People

    11.8%
    Uninsured
    34%
    Employer Coverage
    19.5%
    Medicaid
    22.5%
    Medicare
    11.8%
    Non-Group
    0.478%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Elma, IA grew by 97.3% from 5.98% to 11.8%.

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

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    Economy

    The economy of Elma, IA employs 285 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Elma, IA were Manufacturing (84 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (58 people), and Retail Trade (53 people), and the highest paying industries were Retail Trade ($65,563), Wholesale Trade ($61,667), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($60,625).

    Employment

    Occupations

    285
    2024 Value
    ± 97
    16.8%
    1 Year growth
    ± 42.4%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Elma, IA grew at a rate of 16.8%, from 244 employees to 285 employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Elma, IA, are Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (45 people), Production Occupations (37 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (37 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Elma, 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

    285
    2024 Value
    ± 97
    16.8%
    1 Year growth
    ± 42.4%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Elma, IA grew at a rate of 16.8%, from 244 employees to 285 employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Elma, IA, are Manufacturing (84 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (58 people), and Retail Trade (53 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Elma, IA, though some of these residents may live in Elma, 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

    $40,750
    Median earning men ± $34,191
    $34,375
    Median earning women ± $4,981

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,750), Construction ($38,750), and Manufacturing ($17,031).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($48,958), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($40,833), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($33,681).

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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 Elma, 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 Elma, IA was $81,300 in 2024, which is 0.244 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $71,400 to $81,300, a 13.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Elma, IA is 68.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Elma, IA have an average commute time of 23.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Elma, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    Housing

    Property

    $81,300
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$14,448
    $203
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$44

    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 Elma, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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    Rent vs Own

    68.8%
    Homeownership
    2024
    41.5%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 68.8% of the housing units in Elma, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.3%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Elma, 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.
    $44,375
    Median Household Income
    ± $11,881
    295
    Number of Households
    ± 63

    In 2024, the median household income of the 295 households in Elma, IA grew to $44,375 from the previous year's value of $41,528.

    The following chart displays the households in Elma, 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 $15k - $20k range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Elma, IA is from Iowa.
    0.435
    2024 Wage GINI in Iowa
    0.441
    2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

    In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (77.3%)
    2. Carpooled (12.6%)
    3. Walked (8.27%)

    In 2024, 77.3% of workers in Elma, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.6%) and those who walked to work (8.27%).

    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

    23.2 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Elma, IA have a shorter commute time (23.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.2% of the workforce in Elma, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Elma, 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 Elma, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Elma, IA have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Poverty & Diversity

    18.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Elma, IA (117 out of 624 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

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