City · Iowa
Carson, Iowa
Carson, city, in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Carson had 757 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 766 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 834 (±141). GEOID 1911170.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
757
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 766 · ACS 2020-2024: 834 ±141
Median household income
$73,403
±$10,786 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$181,400
±$14,199 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$744
±$190 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Carson and what county is it in?
Carson is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,173 residents per square mile in 2020.
Carson is in the Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 8 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Carson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 757 people lived in Carson on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 766 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 834 (±141).
| Measure | Carson | Pottawattamie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 834 ±141 | 93,424 | no clear change |
| Households | 343 ±57 | 37,642 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.25 | 2.41 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 355 ±58 | 40,083 | no clear change |
Carson's population since 2000
From 668 in 2000 to 757 in 2025: up 13.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Carson 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 Carson?
The median resident of Carson is 41.8 years old; 23.9% are under 18 and 23.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.0%.
| Measure | Carson | Pottawattamie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.8 ±6.5 | 40.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.9% ±5.1 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.1% ±6.8 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 48.8% ±4.7 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% ±2.3 pts | 9.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.3% ±4.6 pts | 84.5% | −6.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±4.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.1 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.4% ±2.5 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 17.4% ±4.7 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±1.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.2% ±3.8 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.8% ±7.2 pts | 23.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.0% ±5.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.2% ±7.2 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±1.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Carson earn?
Half of Carson's 343 households earn less than $73,403 a year (±$10,786), against $73,602 in Pottawattamie County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $66,535 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Carson | Pottawattamie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,403 ±$10,786 | $73,602 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,921 ±$8,225 | $91,780 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,571 ±$3,202 | $37,477 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.3% ±5.3 pts | 12.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.0% ±5.8 pts | 17.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.2% ±3.7 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.5% ±3.1 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.1% ±7.0 pts | 86.2% | – |
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 Carson?
Owners occupy 82.8% of Carson's occupied homes and renters 17.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $181,400 by its owner (±$14,199). The median renter pays $744 a month including utilities, and 36.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Carson | Pottawattamie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $181,400 ±$14,199 | $195,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $744 ±$190 | $1,018 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.2% ±22.9 pts | 33.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,480 ±$266 | $1,495 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.8% ±7.1 pts | 69.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.2% ±7.1 pts | 30.1% | – |
| Housing units | 355 ±58 | 40,083 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±33.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.6% ±4.9 pts | 75.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.1% ±3.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.6% ±7.9 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
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 Carson building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Carson in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 2.6 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 Carson work and get to work?
84.0% of Carson's workers drive alone and 9.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.7 minutes.
| Measure | Carson | Pottawattamie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.1% ±7.8 pts | 63.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% ±3.1 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.0% ±6.0 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.4% ±3.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 2.6% ±4.2 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.0% ±3.7 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.7 min ±4.2 | 19.8 min | +5.3 min |
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 Carson?
No census tract lies mostly in Carson; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 217.02Pottawattamie County | 2,061 | $81,369 |
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 Carson) · Census block assignment files
How does Carson compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Carson is the 11,467th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 343rd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Carson 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 | 343rd | 939 |
Carson's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Carson 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 Carson?
23 of the 57 figures for Carson 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 Carson 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 Carson.