City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Bettendorf, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bettendorf - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

39,297
Residents
$102,917
Median income
$295,600
Median home
$1,143
Median rent (state)

Bettendorf - the verdict

Nationally, Bettendorf sits in the 79th percentile for household income and the 65th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

79th
percentile, household income
64th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
65th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Bettendorf, IA

Iowa's Bettendorf is a small city, with 39,297 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $102,917 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.9%. Bettendorf's housing stock carries a median value of $295,600, and the median resident age is 39.8 years. About 51.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 387 residential building permits were authorized in Bettendorf (Building Boom), up 89% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Bettendorf reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 972.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Iowa scores 87.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,143 per month. 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 84.9 out of 100 (High).

Population

39,297 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$102,917 /yr

Poverty 4.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Bettendorf compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 64% pricier than other cities
Median rent 32% pricier than other cities
Safety 65% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Iowa, Bettendorf ranks #75 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bettendorf's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Iowa, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

79thIncome percentile
65thSafety percentile

79th percentile nationally for median household income · 65th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bettendorf's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bettendorf's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 65 Avg. percentile National median
Bettendorf's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bettendorf's home value compares nationally

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

$295,600 36th percentile more affordable than 36% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $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. Bettendorf $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bettendorf, IA Bettendorf, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bettendorf, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bettendorf, IA median $102,917/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%
Bettendorf, IA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bettendorf, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 51.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.7%

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

Population
39,297
Median Income
$102,917
Median Home Value
$295,600
Median Age
39.8
Poverty Rate
4.9%
Labor force participation
64.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
972.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
104.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
867.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
12
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
38,500 residents39,000 residents39,500 residents40,000 residents40,500 residents41,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 39,120 residents 40,710 residents ▲ +4.1%
Bettendorf's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
387
housing units authorized
Single-Family
74
detached homes
Multifamily
313
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 205
2020 223
2021 219
2022 187
2023 172
2024 387

Permit volume increased 89% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.4%
Carpool
5.3%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
10.6%
Other
0.6%

Based on 19,428 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Iowa - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$75
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Iowa state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Iowa state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bettendorf sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,143/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
84.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bettendorf's 39,297 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bettendorf's $102,917 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bettendorf, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bettendorf, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 83.2% 7.0% 6.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.9% White 83.2% Black or African American 2.0% Asian 7.0% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.9% Two or more races 6.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bettendorf compares to nearby Iowa cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bettendorf (this city) 39,297 $102,917
Cedar Falls 40,662 $74,165
Marion 41,690 $87,105
Urbandale 46,026 $113,086
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bettendorf, IA?

What is the population of Bettendorf, IA? +

39,297 people live in Bettendorf, IA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bettendorf, IA? +

In Bettendorf, the typical household earns $102,917 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bettendorf? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bettendorf; the closest available measure is the Iowa state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Iowa vary by metro area.

Is Bettendorf, IA safe? +

Bettendorf has a total crime rate of 972.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bettendorf, IA? +

A typical home in Bettendorf is worth $295,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.