Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2022 Population

168,404

0.113% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

36.4

0.274% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

13.6%

3.76% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$66,732

8.27% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$176,100

11.5% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

85,822

0.397% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA had a population of 168k people with a median age of 36.4 and a median household income of $66,732. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA declined from 168,595 to 168,404, a −0.113% decrease and its median household income grew from $61,632 to $66,732, a 8.27% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (82.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.72%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.66%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.18%), and White (Hispanic) (1.75%).

None of the households in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.1% of the residents in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are University of Northern Iowa (2,755 degrees awarded in 2022), Hawkeye Community College (925 degrees), and Wartburg College (398 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $176,100, and the homeownership rate was 69.2%.

Most people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was 2 cars per household.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA borders Cedar Rapids, IA and Marshalltown, IA.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is home to a population of 168k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2022, 5.38% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents were born outside of the country (9.06k people).

In 2022, there were 10.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (139k people) in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 13k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.48k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2022 Citizenship

96.8%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.1% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was 96.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
139k ± 369
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
13k ± 391
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
4.48k ± 621

4.1%

Hispanic Population

6.9k people

4.1% of the people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are hispanic (6.9k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,604 ± 5,034 people
India
12,351 ± 2,723 people
Vietnam
7,795 ± 2,165 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,604 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,351 and Vietnam with 7,795.

Foreign-Born Population

5.38%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

9.06k people

5.5%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

9.27k people

As of 2022, 5.38% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents (9.06k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was 5.5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,276 ± 329
Gulf War (2001-)
1,410 ± 317
Gulf War (1990s)
1,014 ± 230

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.32 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA employs 85.8k people. The largest industries in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are Manufacturing (14,683 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,180 people), and Retail Trade (10,811 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($94,922), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($67,841), and Public Administration ($64,063).

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,745. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.442, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

85.8k

2022 Value

± 1,992

−0.397%

1 Year decline

± 3.22%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA declined at a rate of −0.397%, from 86.2k employees to 85.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,674 people), Production Occupations (8,366 people), and Management Occupations (7,924 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

85.8k

2022 Value

± 1,992

−0.397%

1 Year decline

± 3.22%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA declined at a rate of −0.397%, from 86.2k employees to 85.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, are Manufacturing (14,683 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,180 people), and Retail Trade (10,811 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, though some of these residents may live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,061

Median earning men ± $1,538

$32,871

Median earning women ± $867

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($67,372), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,777), and Manufacturing ($60,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,166), Public Administration ($49,777), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($42,806).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

274
Other Services (except Public Administration)
212
Construction
192
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.06M
Manufacturing
$678k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$330k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 52.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.16%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (52.8%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.16%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 52.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.16%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA awarded 4,378 degrees. The student population of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 6,090 male students and 9,716 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are White (3,633 and 87.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (171 and 4.1%), Black or African American (112 and 2.69%), and Two or More Races (105 and 2.52%).

The largest universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA by number of degrees awarded are University of Northern Iowa (2,755 and 62.9%), Hawkeye Community College (925 and 21.1%), and Wartburg College (398 and 9.09%).

The most popular majors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (305 and 6.97%), Elementary Education & Teaching (304 and 6.94%), and Registered Nursing (192 and 4.39%).

The median tuition costs in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are $32,988 for private four year colleges, and $8,111 and $19,265 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 95.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 15,806 (38.5% men and 61.5% 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 2022 there were 15,806 students enrolled in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 38.5% men and 61.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 12,907 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
135 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
121 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
298 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was General Psychology with 135 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Northern Iowa
2,755 degrees awarded
Hawkeye Community College
925 degrees awarded
Wartburg College
398 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Northern Iowa with 2,755 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,690 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, which is 0.629 times less than the 2,688 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,633 degrees mean that there were 21.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 171 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($32,988) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,611) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,150) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Measure

In 2022, 0.66% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.685% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (751k), Some college (564k), and Bachelors Degree (469k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $176,100 in 2022, which is 0.625 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $157,900 to $176,100, a 11.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is 69.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA have an average commute time of 17.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $66,732. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was Dallas County, IA with a value of $99,533, followed by Warren County, IA and Madison County, IA, with respective values of $89,741 and $88,110.

Housing

Property

$176,100

Median Property Value 2022

±$3,533

$47,363

Median Property Taxes

±$1,304

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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

69.2%

Homeownership

2022

63.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.2% of the housing units in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was Dallas County, IA with a value of $99,533, followed by Warren County, IA and Madison County, IA, with respective values of $89,741 and $88,110.

The following map shows all of the counties in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$66,732

Median Household Income

± $1,499

68.4k

Number of Households

± 1,695

In 2022, the median household income of the 68.4k households in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA grew to $66,732 from the previous year's value of $61,632.

The following chart displays the households in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is from Iowa.

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2022, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.723% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2022

Drove Alone (78.6%)
Worked At Home (8.24%)
Carpooled (8.19%)

In 2022, 78.6% of workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.24%) and those who carpooled to work (8.19%).

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

17.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA have a shorter commute time (17.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.76% of the workforce in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (22.1k out of 162k 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 Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, 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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

96.2% of the population of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA has health coverage, with 52.4% on employee plans, 17% on Medicaid, 14.2% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 1.02% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1357 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.742% increase from the previous year (1347 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1431 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 532 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

1,357 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,357 patients per year. This represents a 0.742% increase from the previous year (1,347 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Iowa in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 24.4% between 18 and 34 years, 34.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.77%

Uninsured

52.4%

Employer Coverage

17%

Medicaid

14.2%

Medicare

11.5%

Non-Group

1.02%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA declined by 7.86% from 4.09% to 3.77%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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