Waterloo, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Waterloo, 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,027 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1009.4 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.27% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.7 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,984 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Waterloo grew by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 64,027 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Waterloo is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.3% of residents. That is about the same share as Iowa.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,265 22.3% on par
- Millennials 29–44 13,238 20.7% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,569 18.1% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,894 17.0% -0.7 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 51.0% of the people living in Waterloo and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.0% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Waterloo
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Waterloo has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,402 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.33% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Waterloo is about 24% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,849 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $924 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.7% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Waterloo is about 7.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $924 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Waterloo spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 115 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.5 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 115 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,552 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,969 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,179 | 606 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Waterloo is 14 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
Waterloo has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Waterloo has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Waterloo | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.1% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Waterloo, IA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Waterloo, IA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo, IA | 64,027 | $57,402 #2/2 | $85,849 #2/2 | 13.7 min #2/2 |
| Cedar Falls, IA | 33,959 | $72,891 | $141,401 | 12.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Waterloo, Iowa.
How big is Waterloo, Iowa by population?
About 64,027 people live in Waterloo, Iowa, in 27,984 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 37.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Waterloo, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Waterloo, Iowa has 1,009 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 12 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Waterloo, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($85,849 against $57,402), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $924 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Waterloo, Iowa have a college degree?
20.9% of adults in Waterloo, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →