Iowa City, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Iowa City, 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 Top grade
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D
Income Well below average
-
A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,193 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2516.5 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.34% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.6 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,848 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Iowa City grew by 18.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 66,193 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Iowa City is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 47.5% of residents. That is 25.2 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 31,416 47.5% +25.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,117 16.8% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,276 12.5% -6.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,827 10.3% -7.4 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 50.6% of the people living in Iowa City and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.4% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
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100% of everyone living in Iowa City
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Economy
Iowa City has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,219 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.94% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Iowa City is about 25% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $143,779 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,077 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.3% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Iowa City is about 11.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,077 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Iowa City spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,048 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,390 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,033 | 606 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Iowa City is 16 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
Iowa City has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Iowa City has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Iowa City | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.6% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.2% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Iowa City, IA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Iowa City, IA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA | 66,193 | $56,219 #2/2 | $143,779 #2/2 | 15.7 min #1/2 |
| Coralville, IA | 22,755 | $67,944 | $178,882 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Iowa City, Iowa.
What is the population of Iowa City, Iowa?
About 66,193 people live in Iowa City, Iowa, in 26,848 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 25.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Iowa City, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Iowa City, Iowa has 2,517 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 29 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Iowa City, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($143,779 against $56,219), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,077 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Iowa City, Iowa have a college degree?
42.4% of adults in Iowa City, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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