Cedar Falls, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cedar Falls, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,959 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1121.3 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 26.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,150 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cedar Falls grew by 13.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,959 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cedar Falls is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 40.3% of residents. That is 18.0 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,673 40.3% +18.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,352 15.8% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,615 13.6% -5.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,573 13.5% -4.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Cedar Falls and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 48.4% Iowa 50.0%
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Economy
Cedar Falls has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,891 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.00% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cedar Falls is about 3% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $141,401 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,228 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cedar Falls is about 9.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,228 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cedar Falls spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 105 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 105 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,261 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,722 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,232 | 606 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Cedar Falls is 13 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cedar Falls has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Cedar Falls has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Cedar Falls | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.6% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Cedar Falls, IA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Cedar Falls, IA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls, IA | 33,959 | $72,891 #1/2 | $141,401 #1/2 | 12.6 min #1/2 |
| Waterloo, IA | 64,027 | $57,402 | $85,849 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cedar Falls, Iowa.
What is the population of Cedar Falls, Iowa?
About 33,959 people live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 13,150 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 26.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Cedar Falls, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cedar Falls, Iowa has 1,121 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 13 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($141,401 against $72,891), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,228 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
Unemployment in Cedar Falls, Iowa is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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