Essex, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

854

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.2

1.67% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

13.4%

39.9% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$58,095

1.31% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$89,900

Population & Diversity

Essex, IA is home to a population of 854 people, from which 98.4% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.22% of Essex, IA residents were born outside of the country (19 people).

In 2024, there were 14 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (727 people) in Essex, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 52 White (Hispanic) and 51 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Essex, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Essex, IA was 98.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Essex, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
727 ± 128
White (Hispanic)
52 ± 39
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
51 ± 58

14.2%

Hispanic Population

121 people

14.2% of the people in Essex, IA are hispanic (121 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Essex, 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
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

2.22%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

19 people

2.17%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

19 people

As of 2024, 2.22% of Essex, IA residents (19 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 Essex, IA was 2.17%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
25 ± 19
Gulf War (2001-)
11 ± 16
Gulf War (1990s)
11 ± 14

Essex, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.27 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Essex, IA employs 387 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Essex, IA were Manufacturing (70 people), Retail Trade (65 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (63 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($60,938), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,375), and Manufacturing ($55,109).

Employment

Occupations

387

2024 Value

± 81

−4.21%

1 Year decline

± 32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex, IA declined at a rate of −4.21%, from 404 employees to 387 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Essex, IA, are Management Occupations (59 people), Production Occupations (50 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (44 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Essex, IA.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

387

2024 Value

± 81

−4.21%

1 Year decline

± 32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex, IA declined at a rate of −4.21%, from 404 employees to 387 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Essex, IA, are Manufacturing (70 people), Retail Trade (65 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (63 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Essex, IA, though some of these residents may live in Essex, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,833

Median earning men ± $9,829

$33,897

Median earning women ± $3,750

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($58,125), and Manufacturing ($55,435).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($47,500), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($40,625), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($38,250).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Essex, IA was $89,900 in 2024, which is 0.27 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $87,700 to $89,900, a 2.51% increase. The homeownership rate in Essex, IA is 79.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Essex, IA have an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Essex, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$89,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$26,883

$307

Median Property Taxes

±$72

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 Essex, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

79.1%

Homeownership

2024

40.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 79.1% of the housing units in Essex, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.9%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$58,095

Median Household Income

± $4,983

388

Number of Households

± 78

In 2024, the median household income of the 388 households in Essex, IA grew to $58,095 from the previous year's value of $57,344.

The following chart displays the households in Essex, 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Essex, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (84.2%)
Carpooled (8.95%)
Worked At Home (2.89%)

In 2024, 84.2% of workers in Essex, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.95%) and those who worked at home (2.89%).

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

21.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Essex, IA have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.98% of the workforce in Essex, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Essex, IA (114 out of 852 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 Males 75+, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 16 - 17.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Essex, 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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