West Union, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

2,489

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.7

0.714% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

9.41% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$53,617

5.32% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$121,000

Population & Diversity

West Union, IA is home to a population of 2.49k people, from which 96.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 4.34% of West Union, IA residents were born outside of the country (108 people).

In 2024, there were 18.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.14k people) in West Union, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 117 White (Hispanic) and 67 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.2%

2024 Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.2% of West Union, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Union, IA was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Union, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.14k ± 256
White (Hispanic)
117 ± 64
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
67 ± 78

9.28%

Hispanic Population

231 people

9.28% of the people in West Union, IA are hispanic (231 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in West Union, 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

4.34%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

108 people

2.13%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

51 people

As of 2024, 4.34% of West Union, IA residents (108 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 West Union, IA was 2.13%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
52 ± 28
Gulf War (2001-)
25 ± 25
Gulf War (1990s)
5 ± 12

West Union, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.08 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of West Union, IA employs 1.11k people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Union, IA were Educational Services (223 people), Construction (201 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (179 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($95,500), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,639), and Educational Services ($47,775).

Employment

Occupations

1.11k

2024 Value

± 176

3.84%

1 Year growth

± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Union, IA grew at a rate of 3.84%, from 1.07k employees to 1.11k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Union, IA, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (167 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (152 people), and Healthcare Support Occupations (116 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Union, 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

1.11k

2024 Value

± 176

3.84%

1 Year growth

± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Union, IA grew at a rate of 3.84%, from 1.07k employees to 1.11k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Union, IA, are Educational Services (223 people), Construction (201 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (179 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Union, IA, though some of these residents may live in West Union, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,205

Median earning men ± $10,309

$32,500

Median earning women ± $14,522

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($77,500), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,639), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($55,313).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($53,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($46,552), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($42,727).

Housing & Living

The median property value in West Union, IA was $121,000 in 2024, which is 0.364 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $133,200 to $121,000, a 9.16% decrease. The homeownership rate in West Union, IA is 62.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Union, IA have an average commute time of 18.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Union, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$121,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,659

$688

Median Property Taxes

±$114

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

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

Rent vs Own

62.2%

Homeownership

2024

69.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 62.2% of the housing units in West Union, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West Union, 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.

$53,617

Median Household Income

± $6,600

1.11k

Number of Households

± 168

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.11k households in West Union, IA grew to $53,617 from the previous year's value of $50,909.

The following chart displays the households in West Union, 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West Union, 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 (85.9%)
Worked At Home (4.82%)
Walked (4.73%)

In 2024, 85.9% of workers in West Union, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (4.82%) and those who walked to work (4.73%).

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

18.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Union, IA have a shorter commute time (18.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.86% of the workforce in West Union, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Union, IA (272 out of 2.35k 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 16 - 17, followed by Males 16 - 17 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Union, IA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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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