City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Arnolds Park, IA

Arnolds Park's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

911
Residents
$84,659
Median income
$407,600
Median home
$989
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Arnolds Park.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IA-ARNOLDS-PARK-IA · Arnolds Park, IA 911 pop · income 66th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-HIGH · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-HIGH · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 911
  • INC-HIGH $84,659
  • COL-BELOW 87.8
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 66th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Lake Don Pedro
  • HOME-HIGH $407,600
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Lake Don Pedro, CA (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Arnolds Park

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Arnolds Park on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Arnolds Park on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 911.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $84,659. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Arnolds Park - the verdict

Arnolds Park ranks in the 66th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

66th
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Arnolds Park, IA

Iowa's Arnolds Park is a small town, with 911 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Arnolds Park brings in $84,659 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.6%. Typical homes in Arnolds Park are valued around $407,600, and the median resident age is 64.2 years. Educational attainment runs 39.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 46.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 10 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 80% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $989 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 out of 100 (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Arnolds Park's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to population change to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Arnolds Park, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Arnolds Park?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Iowa, the closest population matches are Tabor (908 residents, $68,277 income); North English (907 residents, $52,386 income); Lawton (906 residents, $90,278 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Minor, AL (911 residents); Powell, AL (911 residents); Chokoloskee, FL (911 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 2

Is Arnolds Park growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +75 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +6.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 10 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Arnolds Park?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Arnolds Park?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

911 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$84,659 /yr

Above median income · poverty 1.6% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

City profile score · Arnolds Park, IA

80/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A+
87.8 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Poverty rate A
1.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share B+
39.8%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income C+
$84,659

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Arnolds Park profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Cost of livingPoverty rateBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 80 A-
Arnolds Park profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
  • Poverty rate: 89/100 (A) · 1.6%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 75/100 (B+) · 39.8%
  • Household income: 64/100 (C+) · $84,659

How does Arnolds Park compare to other US cities?

Arnolds Park measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 66% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 11% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Arnolds Park against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Iowa-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Arnolds Park near the bottom of Iowa's cities

Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Arnolds Park ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Arnolds Park only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#128 of 845
85th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#10 of 849
99th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#711 of 858
17th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#68 of 858
92nd percentile in Iowa
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

66thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

66th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Arnolds Park's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$407,600 22nd percentile more affordable than 22% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Arnolds Park $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Arnolds Park's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,583 of 15,516
More affordable than 19% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,567 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 4.8×, Arnolds Park sits in the moderate band: national rank #12,583 of 15,516 and #9,567 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$84,659 Arnolds Park, IA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Arnolds Park, IA Arnolds Park, IA's median household income ($84,659) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Arnolds Park, IA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Arnolds Park, IA median $84,659/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Arnolds Park, IA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Arnolds Park, IA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 39.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
911
Median Income
$84,659
Median Home Value
$407,600
Median Age
64.2
Poverty Rate
1.6%
Labor force participation
46.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
39.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,100 residents1,150 residents1,200 residents1,250 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,123 residents 1,198 residents ▲ +6.7%
Arnolds Park's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 1,123 residents
2021 1,159 residents
2022 1,157 residents
2023 1,195 residents
2024 1,214 residents
2025 1,198 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
10
housing units authorized
Single-Family
10
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 49
2020 67
2021 28
2022 117
2023 79
2024 10

Permit volume decreased 80% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.8%
Carpool
10.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
10.6%
Other
1.0%

Based on 397 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Iowa statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Iowa at $212 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $42 ).

These are Iowa statewide averages, not a meter reading for Arnolds Park. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Iowa's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Arnolds Park is $989/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Iowa statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Iowa statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Arnolds Park sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Arnolds Park compares to similar-size Iowa cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Arnolds Park (this city) 911 $84,659
Tabor 908 $68,277
North English 907 $52,386
Lawton 906 $90,278
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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