City · Iowa
Armstrong, Iowa
Armstrong, city, in Emmet County, Iowa. Armstrong had 828 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 875 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 703 (±93). GEOID 1902935.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
828
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 875 · ACS 2020-2024: 703 ±93
Median household income
$58,250
±$8,859 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$90,500
±$16,705 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$632
±$364 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Armstrong and what county is it in?
Armstrong is a city in Emmet County, Iowa. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 990 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Armstrong, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 828 people lived in Armstrong on July 1, 2025, down 4.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 875 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 703 (±93).
| Measure | Armstrong | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 703 ±93 | 9,262 | −177 |
| Households | 342 ±60 | 4,063 | −78 |
| Average household size | 1.94 ±0.21 | 2.15 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 400 ±63 | 4,520 | −87 |
Armstrong's population since 2000
From 979 in 2000 to 828 in 2025: down 15.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Armstrong as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Armstrong?
The median resident of Armstrong is 55.5 years old; 19.9% are under 18 and 36.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.4%.
| Measure | Armstrong | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.5 ±6.7 | 42.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.9% ±5.5 pts | 19.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 36.3% ±6.4 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Male | 51.2% ±6.0 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.6% ±3.3 pts | 85.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±2.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±2.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.9% ±1.0 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.2% ±2.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| With a disability | 19.3% ±6.0 pts | 18.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.9% ±1.0 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.0% ±6.3 pts | 17.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.4% ±1.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.9% ±3.2 pts | 91.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Armstrong earn?
Half of Armstrong's 342 households earn less than $58,250 a year (±$8,859), against $63,730 in Emmet County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $53,752 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Armstrong | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,250 ±$8,859 | $63,730 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $70,554 ±$10,767 | $77,279 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,250 ±$5,245 | $36,351 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.4% ±4.5 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.4% ±9.3 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.4% ±5.4 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.9% ±2.7 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.9% ±5.3 pts | 86.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Armstrong?
Owners occupy 81.9% of Armstrong's occupied homes and renters 18.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $90,500 by its owner (±$16,705). The median renter pays $632 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Armstrong | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $90,500 ±$16,705 | $114,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $632 ±$364 | $733 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.3% ±26.6 pts | 36.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,054 ±$120 | $1,074 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.9% ±9.4 pts | 79.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.1% ±9.4 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Housing units | 400 ±63 | 4,520 | −87 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.4% ±19.9 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.0% ±7.9 pts | 83.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.0% ±4.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.0% ±2.6 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.0% ±7.8 pts | 33.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.8% ±1.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Armstrong building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Armstrong in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Armstrong work and get to work?
87.8% of Armstrong's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 15.7 minutes.
| Measure | Armstrong | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.1% ±7.0 pts | 65.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±5.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.8% ±5.1 pts | 77.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.0% ±4.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.9% ±1.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.3% ±1.8 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.7 min ±2.4 | 20.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Armstrong?
No census tract lies mostly in Armstrong; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 701Emmet County | 1,573 | $70,000 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Armstrong) · Census block assignment files
How does Armstrong compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Armstrong is the 11,078th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 322nd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Armstrong is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 322nd | 939 |
Armstrong's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Armstrong with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Armstrong?
24 of the 57 figures for Armstrong on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Armstrong are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Armstrong.