City · Iowa
Charles City, Iowa
Charles City, city, in Floyd County, Iowa. Charles City had 7,013 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 7,396 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 7,232 (±33). GEOID 1912765.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
7,013
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 7,396 · ACS 2020-2024: 7,232 ±33
Median household income
$59,180
±$9,968 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$115,400
±$15,614 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$735
±$54 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Charles City and what county is it in?
Charles City is a city in Floyd County, Iowa. It covers 6.1 square miles of land, 1,208 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 Charles City, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,013 people lived in Charles City on July 1, 2025, down 5.2% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 7,396 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 7,232 (±33).
| Measure | Charles City | Floyd County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,232 ±33 | 15,328 | −164 |
| Households | 3,223 ±160 | 6,503 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.18 ±0.11 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,703 ±154 | 7,306 | no clear change |
Charles City's population since 2000
From 7,812 in 2000 to 7,013 in 2025: down 10.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Charles City 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 Charles City?
The median resident of Charles City is 42.0 years old; 22.1% are under 18 and 23.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.8%. 3.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Charles City | Floyd County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 ±2.3 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.1% ±2.2 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.5% ±2.5 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Male | 48.6% ±2.6 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.8% ±1.1 pts | 3.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6% ±2.1 pts | 88.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.0 pts | 1.4% | −1.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±0.5 pts | 1.6% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±1.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.9% ±1.3 pts | 2.4% | −2.3 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.6% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.5% ±2.6 pts | 9.4% | – |
| With a disability | 21.3% ±3.5 pts | 16.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8% ±1.0 pts | 3.6% | −4.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.6% ±2.1 pts | 95.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.8% ±3.8 pts | 18.3% | −7.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.0% ±1.9 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.5% ±3.9 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.3% ±1.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
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 Charles City earn?
Half of Charles City's 3,223 households earn less than $59,180 a year (±$9,968), against $68,557 in Floyd County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $50,532 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Charles City | Floyd County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,180 ±$9,968 | $68,557 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $65,875 ±$7,024 | $85,469 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,770 ±$2,932 | $36,197 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.3% ±4.6 pts | 11.6% | −11.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 16.5% ±9.6 pts | 16.6% | −29.7 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.1% ±3.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.7% ±4.8 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.4% ±4.5 pts | 83.4% | – |
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 Charles City?
Owners occupy 67.9% of Charles City's occupied homes and renters 32.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $115,400 by its owner (±$15,614). The median renter pays $735 a month including utilities, and 37.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Charles City | Floyd County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $115,400 ±$15,614 | $143,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $735 ±$54 | $745 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.2% ±13.4 pts | 34.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,144 ±$120 | $1,287 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.9% ±6.2 pts | 76.6% | +8.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 32.1% ±6.2 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Housing units | 3,703 ±154 | 7,306 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±3.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.1% ±3.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.7% ±5.0 pts | 84.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.3% ±1.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.0% ±1.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.4% ±5.1 pts | 34.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.7% ±3.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
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 Charles City building?
Builders took permits for 42 new housing units in Charles City in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 6.0 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 Charles City work and get to work?
81.2% of Charles City's workers drive alone and 5.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.6%.
| Measure | Charles City | Floyd County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.7% ±3.7 pts | 62.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% ±2.6 pts | 3.3% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 81.2% ±5.6 pts | 80.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.9% ±5.0 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.1% ±2.9 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.2 min ±2.3 | 18.9 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 Charles City?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Charles City, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $48,432 (Tract 4804) to $70,168 (Tract 4805).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4805Floyd County | 4,647 | $70,168 |
| Tract 4804Floyd County | 3,096 | $48,432 |
| Tract 4801Floyd County | 2,439 | $73,750 |
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 Charles City) · Census block assignment files
How does Charles City compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Charles City is the 4,065th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 60th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Charles City ranks 223rd of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 60th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 269th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 99th | 279 |
| Median household income | 223rd | 279 |
| Per capita income | 235th | 279 |
| Median home value | 241st | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 213th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 73rd | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 272nd | 279 |
| Median age | 91st | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 203rd | 279 |
| Work from home | 194th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 238th | 279 |
Charles City's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Charles City 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 Charles City?
11 of the 57 figures for Charles City 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 Charles City 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 Charles City.