Red Oak, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

5,510

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.2

1.26% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.9%

33% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$50,109

5.45% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$99,700

Population & Diversity

Red Oak, IA is home to a population of 5.51k people, from which 99.4% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.54% of Red Oak, IA residents were born outside of the country (140 people).

In 2024, there were 20.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.89k people) in Red Oak, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 235 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 167 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Red Oak, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Red Oak, IA was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Red Oak, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.89k ± 75
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
235 ± 116
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
167 ± 97

0.599%

Hispanic Population

33 people

0.599% of the people in Red Oak, IA are hispanic (33 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Red Oak, 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

2.54%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

140 people

1.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

100 people

As of 2024, 2.54% of Red Oak, IA residents (140 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 Red Oak, IA was 1.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
79 ± 58
Gulf War (2001-)
46 ± 45
Korea
39 ± 38

Red Oak, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.72 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Red Oak, IA employs 2.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Red Oak, IA were Manufacturing (448 people), Retail Trade (373 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (367 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($91,750), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($83,200), and Construction ($75,514).

Employment

Occupations

2.3k

2024 Value

± 339

−5.62%

1 Year decline

± 21.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Red Oak, IA declined at a rate of −5.62%, from 2.44k employees to 2.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Red Oak, IA, are Production Occupations (381 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (292 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (211 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Red Oak, 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

2.3k

2024 Value

± 339

−5.62%

1 Year decline

± 21.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Red Oak, IA declined at a rate of −5.62%, from 2.44k employees to 2.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Red Oak, IA, are Manufacturing (448 people), Retail Trade (373 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (367 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Red Oak, IA, though some of these residents may live in Red Oak, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,982

Median earning men ± $3,676

$31,927

Median earning women ± $7,807

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($82,891), Construction ($70,962), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,783).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($52,344), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,625), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($31,875).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Red Oak, IA was $99,700 in 2024, which is 0.3 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $91,600 to $99,700, a 8.84% increase. The homeownership rate in Red Oak, IA is 59.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Red Oak, IA have an average commute time of 20.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Red Oak, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$99,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,772

$1,462

Median Property Taxes

±$255

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

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

Rent vs Own

59.9%

Homeownership

2024

60.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 59.9% of the housing units in Red Oak, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Red Oak, 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.

$50,109

Median Household Income

± $7,799

2.44k

Number of Households

± 334

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.44k households in Red Oak, IA declined from $50,109 from the previous year's value of $52,996.

The following chart displays the households in Red Oak, 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 Red Oak, 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 (75.1%)
Carpooled (13.3%)
Worked At Home (11%)

In 2024, 75.1% of workers in Red Oak, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.3%) and those who worked at home (11%).

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

20.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Red Oak, IA have a shorter commute time (20.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.12% of the workforce in Red Oak, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Red Oak, IA (1.16k out of 5.29k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Red Oak, IA is White, followed by Two Or More 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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