City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Cedar Falls, IA

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

40,662
Residents
$74,165
Median income
$252,500
Median home
$1,051
Median rent (state)

Cedar Falls - the verdict

Nationally, Cedar Falls sits in the 55th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

55th
percentile, household income
56th
percentile, home value
24th
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: Cedar Falls, IA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 40,662 residents in Cedar Falls, a small city within Iowa. The typical household in Cedar Falls brings in $74,165 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. Cedar Falls's housing stock carries a median value of $252,500, and the median resident age is 29.8 years. Educational attainment runs 49.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 91 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 8% from five years earlier.

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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,051 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Iowa run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Cedar Falls workers runs 12.4 minutes, with 75.0% driving alone and 11.0% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 76.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

40,662 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$74,165 /yr

Poverty 5.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Cedar Falls compare to other US cities?

Where Cedar Falls sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 55% higher than other cities
Home value 56% pricier than other cities
Median rent 24% 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

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 Cedar Falls'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.

55thIncome percentile

55th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Cedar Falls's home value compares nationally

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

$252,500 44th percentile more affordable than 44% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $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. Cedar Falls $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 - Cedar Falls, IA Cedar Falls, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Cedar Falls, 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 Cedar Falls, IA median $74,165/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%
Cedar Falls, 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 Cedar Falls, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.9%

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

Population
40,662
Median Income
$74,165
Median Home Value
$252,500
Median Age
29.8
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
65.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.2%

Schools

Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
40,000 residents40,500 residents41,000 residents41,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 40,700 residents 41,240 residents ▲ +1.3%
Cedar Falls's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
91
housing units authorized
Single-Family
82
detached homes
Multifamily
9
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 99
2020 114
2021 92
2022 81
2023 111
2024 91

Permit volume decreased 8% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
12.4 minutes
Drive Alone
75.0%
Carpool
6.2%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
6.8%
Work from Home
11.0%
Other
0.9%

Based on 22,122 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 Cedar Falls sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,051/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
76.6 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Marion
41,690 people
Bettendorf
39,297 people
Urbandale
46,026 people
Marshalltown
27,491 people
Mason City
27,135 people
Waukee
26,974 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Cedar Falls's 40,662 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

State College, PA
40,669 people
Essex, MD
40,670 people
Westfield, MA
40,673 people
Meadow Woods, FL
40,741 people
Annapolis, MD
40,744 people
Lancaster, TX
40,753 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Cedar Falls's $74,165 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Haslett, MI
$74,164 median income
Red Mesa, AZ
$74,167 median income
Avoca, IN
$74,167 median income
Angola, NY
$74,167 median income
North Lawrence, OH
$74,167 median income
Walnut Creek, OH
$74,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Cedar Falls, 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 Cedar Falls, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 91.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.8% White 91.5% Black or African American 1.6% Asian 3.4% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 3.0% 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 Cedar Falls 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
Cedar Falls (this city) 40,662 $74,165
Marion 41,690 $87,105
Bettendorf 39,297 $102,917
Urbandale 46,026 $113,086
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Cedar Falls, IA?

What is the population of Cedar Falls, IA? +

40,662 people live in Cedar Falls, IA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Cedar Falls, IA? +

In Cedar Falls, the typical household earns $74,165 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Cedar Falls? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Cedar Falls; 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.

What is the median home value in Cedar Falls, IA? +

Homes in Cedar Falls carry a median value of $252,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

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

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.