Lester, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

340

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.8

0.257% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

1.47%

35.3% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$99,063

7.82% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$190,900

Population & Diversity

Lester, IA is home to a population of 340 people, from which 95.6% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.59% of Lester, IA residents were born outside of the country (19 people).

In 2024, there were 12.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (290 people) in Lester, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 17 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.6% of Lester, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lester, IA was 96.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lester, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
290 ± 87
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
24 ± 22
Other (Hispanic)
17 ± 28

12.1%

Hispanic Population

41 people

12.1% of the people in Lester, IA are hispanic (41 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lester, 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

5.59%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

19 people

4.87%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

15 people

As of 2024, 5.59% of Lester, 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 Lester, IA was 4.87%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6 ± 17
Gulf War (2001-)
5 ± 12
Korea
1 ± 10

Lester, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.2 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lester, IA employs 189 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lester, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (51 people), Manufacturing (26 people), and Educational Services (23 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($93,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,750), and Wholesale Trade ($81,250).

Employment

Occupations

189

2024 Value

± 72

10.5%

1 Year growth

± 52.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lester, IA grew at a rate of 10.5%, from 171 employees to 189 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lester, IA, are Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (38 people), Production Occupations (23 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (15 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lester, 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

189

2024 Value

± 72

10.5%

1 Year growth

± 52.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lester, IA grew at a rate of 10.5%, from 171 employees to 189 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lester, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (51 people), Manufacturing (26 people), and Educational Services (23 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lester, IA, though some of these residents may live in Lester, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,375

Median earning men ± $11,627

$16,250

Median earning women ± $61,824

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,750), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,250), and Manufacturing ($59,375).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($43,750), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($12,917), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($2,500).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lester, IA was $190,900 in 2024, which is 0.574 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $185,200 to $190,900, a 3.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Lester, IA is 96.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lester, IA have an average commute time of 18.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lester, IA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$190,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$59,683

$110

Median Property Taxes

±$33

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

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

Rent vs Own

96.5%

Homeownership

2024

61.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 96.5% of the housing units in Lester, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 97.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lester, 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.

$99,063

Median Household Income

± $19,395

114

Number of Households

± 41

In 2024, the median household income of the 114 households in Lester, IA grew to $99,063 from the previous year's value of $91,875.

The following chart displays the households in Lester, 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 Lester, 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 (69.4%)
Carpooled (16.1%)
Worked At Home (7.25%)

In 2024, 69.4% of workers in Lester, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16.1%) and those who worked at home (7.25%).

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

18.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lester, IA have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.35% of the workforce in Lester, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lester, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lester, IA have 3 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

1.47% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lester, IA (5 out of 339 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 75+, followed by Males 75+ and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lester, IA is White, followed by Black and Native American.

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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