Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

168,637

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.8

0.546% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.2%

1.28% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$70,811

2.75% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$194,800

4.67% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

86,145

0.69% 1-year growth

About

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 (2,535 degrees awarded in 2024), Hawkeye Community College (1,026 degrees), and Wartburg College (335 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $194,800, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17 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 169k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.2% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents were born outside of the country (8.78k people).

In 2024, there were 11.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (137k people) in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.79k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2024 Citizenship

97.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
137k ± 381
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
12.3k ± 586
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.79k ± 693

4.51%

Hispanic Population

7.61k people

4.51% of the people in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are hispanic (7.61k people).

The following chart shows the 8 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
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

5.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.78k people

5.18%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.71k people

As of 2024, 5.2% of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA residents (8.78k 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was 5.18%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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
2,916 ± 272
Gulf War (2001-)
1,440 ± 260
Gulf War (1990s)
939 ± 195

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.02 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Health

95.5% of the population of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA has health coverage, with 51.4% on employee plans, 16.8% on Medicaid, 14.6% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 1.06% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,385 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,385 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.2% under 18 years, 24% between 18 and 34 years, 34.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.55%

Uninsured

51.4%

Employer Coverage

16.8%

Medicaid

14.6%

Medicare

11.6%

Non-Group

1.06%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA grew by 15.8% from 3.93% to 4.55%.

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.

Economy

The economy of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA employs 86.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA were Manufacturing (14,280 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,346 people), and Retail Trade (10,693 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($97,645), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($82,500), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($73,403).

Employment

Occupations

86.1k

2024 Value

± 2,019

0.69%

1 Year growth

± 3.25%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA grew at a rate of 0.69%, from 85.6k employees to 86.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, are Management Occupations (8,947 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,719 people), and Production Occupations (7,556 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 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

86.1k

2024 Value

± 2,019

0.69%

1 Year growth

± 3.25%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA grew at a rate of 0.69%, from 85.6k employees to 86.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, are Manufacturing (14,280 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,346 people), and Retail Trade (10,693 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

$51,730

Median earning men ± $1,359

$35,731

Median earning women ± $1,020

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($72,689), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,448), and Manufacturing ($66,168).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,603), Public Administration ($56,786), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($48,627).

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.

The visualization shows the 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 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

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.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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.

Education

In 2024, universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA awarded 4,158 degrees. The student population of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 6,373 male students and 10,136 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are White (3,480 and 85.4%), Hispanic or Latino (225 and 5.52%), Black or African American (148 and 3.63%), and Two or More Races (105 and 2.58%).

The largest universities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA by number of degrees awarded are University of Northern Iowa (2,535 and 61%), Hawkeye Community College (1,026 and 24.7%), and Wartburg College (335 and 8.06%).

The most popular majors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA are Elementary Education & Teaching (322 and 7.74%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (296 and 7.12%), and Registered Nursing (234 and 5.63%).

The median tuition costs are $23,812 for private four year colleges, and $8,564 and $20,340 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 26.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 16,509 (38.6% men and 61.4% 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 16,509 students enrolled in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 38.6% men and 61.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 13,199 records, of which 62.2% were women and 37.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Elementary Education & Teaching
315 degrees awarded
General Psychology
122 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
112 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was Elementary Education & Teaching with 315 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
2,535 degrees awarded
Hawkeye Community College
1,026 degrees awarded
Wartburg College
335 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Northern Iowa with 2,535 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,510 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, which is 0.57 times less than the 2,648 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 3,480 degrees mean that there were 15.5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 225 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 ($23,812) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,707) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,136) 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $194,800 in 2024, which is 0.586 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $186,100 to $194,800, a 4.67% increase. The homeownership rate in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is 69.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA have an average commute time of 17 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.

Housing

Property

$194,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,046

$48,202

Median Property Taxes

±$1,291

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

69.5%

Homeownership

2024

63.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 69.5% of the housing units in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, 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.

$70,811

Median Household Income

± $1,386

69.4k

Number of Households

± 1,795

In 2024, the median household income of the 69.4k households in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA grew to $70,811 from the previous year's value of $68,916.

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.

0.435

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 (78.1%)
Worked At Home (9.27%)
Carpooled (8.21%)

In 2024, 78.1% of workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.27%) and those who carpooled to work (8.21%).

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 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA have a shorter commute time (17 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.23% 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

13.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (21.4k 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.