Fort Dodge, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

24,827

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.6

1.57% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

15.9%

10.6% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$60,649

1.81% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$144,100

Population & Diversity

Fort Dodge, IA is home to a population of 24.8k people, from which 96.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 4.04% of Fort Dodge, IA residents were born outside of the country (1k people).

In 2024, there were 17.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.8k people) in Fort Dodge, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.15k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.01k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.5%

2024 Citizenship

96.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.5% of Fort Dodge, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fort Dodge, IA was 96.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fort Dodge, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
19.8k ± 255
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.15k ± 229
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.01k ± 224

8.92%

Hispanic Population

2.21k people

8.92% of the people in Fort Dodge, IA are hispanic (2.21k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Fort Dodge, 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

4.04%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1k people

4.54%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.13k people

As of 2024, 4.04% of Fort Dodge, IA residents (1k 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 Fort Dodge, IA was 4.54%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
300 ± 100
Gulf War (2001-)
190 ± 108
Gulf War (1990s)
126 ± 69

Fort Dodge, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.58 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Fort Dodge, IA employs 11.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fort Dodge, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,064 people), Manufacturing (1,914 people), and Retail Trade (1,439 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($79,706), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,879), and Manufacturing ($64,051).

Employment

Occupations

11.6k

2024 Value

± 817

1.3%

1 Year growth

± 9.83%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fort Dodge, IA grew at a rate of 1.3%, from 11.5k employees to 11.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fort Dodge, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,263 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,105 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,048 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fort Dodge, 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

11.6k

2024 Value

± 817

1.3%

1 Year growth

± 9.83%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fort Dodge, IA grew at a rate of 1.3%, from 11.5k employees to 11.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fort Dodge, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,064 people), Manufacturing (1,914 people), and Retail Trade (1,439 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fort Dodge, IA, though some of these residents may live in Fort Dodge, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,219

Median earning men ± $3,923

$33,340

Median earning women ± $2,487

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($125,786), Manufacturing ($70,765), and Wholesale Trade ($62,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($49,775), Public Administration ($46,667), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,588).

Education

The student population of Fort Dodge, IA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,228 male students and 2,743 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fort Dodge, IA are White (769 and 66.2%), Hispanic or Latino (129 and 11.1%), Two or More Races (107 and 9.22%), and Black or African American (80 and 6.89%).

The largest universities in Fort Dodge, IA by number of degrees awarded are Iowa Central Community College (1,171 and 98.4%) and La James International College-Ft Dodge (19 and 1.6%).

The most popular majors in Fort Dodge, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (420 and 35.3%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (138 and 11.6%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (92 and 7.73%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 4,971 students enrolled in Fort Dodge, IA, 44.8% men and 55.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,941 records, of which 60.9% were women and 39.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
420 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
80 degrees awarded
Agricultural Business Operations
32 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Fort Dodge, IA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 420 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Iowa Central Community College
1,171 degrees awarded
La James International College-Ft Dodge
19 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Iowa Central Community College with 1,171 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 496 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fort Dodge, IA, which is 0.715 times less than the 694 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 769 degrees mean that there were 5.96 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 129 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

Public, 2-year ($5,040) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($456) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fort Dodge, IA was $144,100 in 2024, which is 0.433 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $128,900 to $144,100, a 11.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Fort Dodge, IA is 64.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Fort Dodge, IA have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fort Dodge, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$144,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,581

$6,619

Median Property Taxes

±$550

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

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

Rent vs Own

64.4%

Homeownership

2024

62.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.4% of the housing units in Fort Dodge, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fort Dodge, 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.

$60,649

Median Household Income

± $6,463

10.3k

Number of Households

± 705

In 2024, the median household income of the 10.3k households in Fort Dodge, IA declined from $60,649 from the previous year's value of $61,769.

The following chart displays the households in Fort Dodge, 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 Fort Dodge, 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 (80.2%)
Carpooled (8.89%)
Worked At Home (4.45%)

In 2024, 80.2% of workers in Fort Dodge, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.89%) and those who worked at home (4.45%).

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

19 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fort Dodge, IA have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.42% of the workforce in Fort Dodge, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fort Dodge, IA (3.52k out of 22.2k 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 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 12 - 14.

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

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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