Wadena, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

177

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

53.6

9.61% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

27.8%

104% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$38,750

20% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$94,200

Population & Diversity

Wadena, IA is home to a population of 177 people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.565% of Wadena, IA residents were born outside of the country (1 people).

In 2024, there were 13.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (160 people) in Wadena, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12 Other (Non-Hispanic) and 4 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Wadena, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wadena, IA was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been maintaining.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wadena, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
160 ± 47
Other (Non-Hispanic)
12 ± 15
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4 ± 6

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wadena, 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

0.565%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

1.46%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3 people

As of 2024, 0.565% of Wadena, IA residents (1 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 Wadena, IA was 1.46%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
10 ± 17
Korea
4 ± 11
Gulf War (1990s)
2 ± 10

Wadena, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Wadena, IA employs 58 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wadena, IA were Construction (14 people), Manufacturing (7 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (7 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($65,208), Health Care & Social Assistance ($53,750), and Manufacturing ($46,250).

Employment

Occupations

2024 Value

± 63

−15.9%

1 Year decline

± 169%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wadena, IA declined at a rate of −15.9%, from 69 employees to 58 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wadena, IA, are Management Occupations (13 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (9 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wadena, 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

2024 Value

± 63

−15.9%

1 Year decline

± 169%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wadena, IA declined at a rate of −15.9%, from 69 employees to 58 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wadena, IA, are Construction (14 people), Manufacturing (7 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (7 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wadena, IA, though some of these residents may live in Wadena, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,500

Median earning men ± $16,715

$38,750

Median earning women ± $37,839

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($53,750), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($44,375), and Construction ($16,563).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($65,208) and Retail Trade ($8,750).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wadena, IA was $94,200 in 2024, which is 0.283 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $89,300 to $94,200, a 5.49% increase. The homeownership rate in Wadena, IA is 76.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wadena, IA have an average commute time of 31.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wadena, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$94,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,844

$72

Median Property Taxes

±$29

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

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

Rent vs Own

76.6%

Homeownership

2024

57.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.6% of the housing units in Wadena, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 84.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wadena, 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.

$38,750

Median Household Income

± $18,514

Number of Households

± 31

In 2024, the median household income of the 94 households in Wadena, IA declined from $38,750 from the previous year's value of $48,438.

The following chart displays the households in Wadena, 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 Wadena, 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 (72.4%)
Worked At Home (17.2%)
Carpooled (5.17%)

In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Wadena, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.2%) and those who carpooled to work (5.17%).

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

31.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wadena, IA have a longer commute time (31.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Wadena, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wadena, IA (49 out of 176 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

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