Iowa City, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

75,752

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

26.2

0.38% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

26.3%

0.239% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$58,546

1.76% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$285,900

Population & Diversity

Iowa City, IA is home to a population of 75.8k people, from which 93.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 11.8% of Iowa City, IA residents were born outside of the country (8.93k people).

In 2024, there were 7.52 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (53.3k people) in Iowa City, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.09k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.37k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.1%

2024 Citizenship

92.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.1% of Iowa City, IA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Iowa City, IA was 92.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Iowa City, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
53.3k ± 1.01k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.09k ± 857
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
5.37k ± 602

8.06%

Hispanic Population

6.1k people

8.06% of the people in Iowa City, IA are hispanic (6.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Iowa City, 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

11.8%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.93k people

11.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.9k people

As of 2024, 11.8% of Iowa City, IA residents (8.93k 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 Iowa City, IA was 11.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
675 ± 156
Gulf War (2001-)
606 ± 208
Gulf War (1990s)
317 ± 145

Iowa City, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.11 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Iowa City, IA employs 43.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Iowa City, IA were Educational Services (10,924 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (7,741 people), and Retail Trade (5,656 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($113,271), Finance & Insurance ($59,390), and Public Administration ($58,688).

Employment

Occupations

43.1k

2024 Value

± 1,675

0.225%

1 Year growth

± 5.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Iowa City, IA grew at a rate of 0.225%, from 43k employees to 43.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Iowa City, IA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (5,242 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,346 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (4,155 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Iowa City, 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

43.1k

2024 Value

± 1,675

0.225%

1 Year growth

± 5.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Iowa City, IA grew at a rate of 0.225%, from 43k employees to 43.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Iowa City, IA, are Educational Services (10,924 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (7,741 people), and Retail Trade (5,656 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Iowa City, IA, though some of these residents may live in Iowa City, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$35,553

Median earning men ± $2,192

$26,493

Median earning women ± $2,334

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($64,861), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,631), and Wholesale Trade ($57,188).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($50,500), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,911), and Construction ($45,000).

Education

The student population of Iowa City, IA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 13,514 male students and 17,378 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Iowa City, IA are White (7,098 and 77.1%), Hispanic or Latino (713 and 7.74%), Asian (490 and 5.32%), and Unknown (318 and 3.45%).

The largest universities in Iowa City, IA by number of degrees awarded are University of Iowa (9,604 and 99.2%) and PCI Academy-Iowa City (82 and 0.847%).

The most popular majors in Iowa City, IA are General Finance (568 and 5.86%), General Business Administration & Management (557 and 5.75%), and Organizational Leadership (469 and 4.84%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $9,286 for in-state students and $31,374 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Iowa City, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 30,892 (43.7% men and 56.3% 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 2024 there were 30,892 students enrolled in Iowa City, IA, 43.7% men and 56.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 22,013 records, of which 57.1% were women and 42.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Finance
395 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
381 degrees awarded
Behavioral Sciences
298 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Iowa City, IA was General Finance with 395 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Iowa
9,604 degrees awarded
PCI Academy-Iowa City
82 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Iowa with 9,604 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 4,375 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Iowa City, IA, which is 0.824 times less than the 5,311 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 7,098 degrees mean that there were 9.96 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 713 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

Public, 4-year or above ($9,286) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,997) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($950) 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 Iowa City, IA was $285,900 in 2024, which is 0.859 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $273,600 to $285,900, a 4.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Iowa City, IA is 47.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Iowa City, IA have an average commute time of 17.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Iowa City, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$285,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,160

$14,545

Median Property Taxes

±$803

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

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

Rent vs Own

47.2%

Homeownership

2024

61.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 47.2% of the housing units in Iowa City, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 46.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Iowa City, 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.

$58,546

Median Household Income

± $3,038

30.8k

Number of Households

± 1,372

In 2024, the median household income of the 30.8k households in Iowa City, IA grew to $58,546 from the previous year's value of $57,533.

The following chart displays the households in Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, 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 (56.2%)
Walked (14.6%)
Worked At Home (12.2%)

In 2024, 56.2% of workers in Iowa City, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (14.6%) and those who worked at home (12.2%).

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

17.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Iowa City, IA have a shorter commute time (17.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.28% of the workforce in Iowa City, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

26.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Iowa City, IA (18.2k out of 69k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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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