City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Council Bluffs, IA

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

62,564
Residents
$64,092
Median income
$164,300
Median home
$1,368
Median rent (state)

Council Bluffs - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Council Bluffs lands in the 41st percentile for household income and the 17th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

41st
percentile, household income
32nd
percentile, home value
53rd
percentile, median rent
17th
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: Council Bluffs, IA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 62,564 residents in Council Bluffs, a small city within Iowa. The typical household in Council Bluffs brings in $64,092 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.7%. Typical homes in Council Bluffs are valued around $164,300, and the median resident age is 39.0 years. 21.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 632 residential building permits were authorized in Council Bluffs (Building Boom), up 496% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Council Bluffs's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2873.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Iowa at 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,368 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Council Bluffs report an average commute of 17.1 minutes, with 80.0% driving alone and 7.8% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 18.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

62,564 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$64,092 /yr

Poverty 8.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Council Bluffs compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 41% higher than other cities
Home value 32% pricier than other cities
Median rent 53% pricier than other cities
Safety 17% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Iowa alone, Council Bluffs ranks #130 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

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 Council Bluffs'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.

41stIncome percentile
17thSafety percentile

41st percentile nationally for median household income · 17th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Council Bluffs's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Council Bluffs'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 39 Avg. percentile National median
Council Bluffs'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 Council Bluffs's home value compares nationally

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

$164,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 68% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $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. Council Bluffs $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 - Council Bluffs, IA Council Bluffs, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Council Bluffs, 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 Council Bluffs, IA median $64,092/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%
Council Bluffs, 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 Council Bluffs, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.7%

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

Population
62,564
Median Income
$64,092
Median Home Value
$164,300
Median Age
39.0
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Labor force participation
60.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2873.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
420.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2452.3
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
17
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
62,200 residents62,400 residents62,600 residents62,800 residents63,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 62,792 residents 62,680 residents ▼ -0.2%
Council Bluffs's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
632
housing units authorized
Single-Family
58
detached homes
Multifamily
574
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 106
2020 119
2021 92
2022 95
2023 125
2024 632

Permit volume increased 496% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.1 minutes
Drive Alone
80.0%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
1.8%
Work from Home
7.8%
Other
1.9%

Based on 30,051 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 Council Bluffs sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,368/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
18.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Dubuque
59,271 people
Ames
66,112 people
Waterloo
66,947 people
West Des Moines
69,893 people
Ankeny
70,542 people
Iowa City
75,264 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Council Bluffs's 62,564 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Huntersville, NC
62,458 people
Taylor, MI
62,405 people
Hendersonville, TN
62,390 people
Porterville, CA
62,765 people
Brookline, MA
62,822 people
Bossier City, LA
62,832 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Council Bluffs's $64,092 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Atlanta, IL
$64,091 median income
Hillsdale, IN
$64,091 median income
Tecumseh, MI
$64,086 median income
Kenner, LA
$64,099 median income
Morse, TX
$64,100 median income
Delaware Water Gap, PA
$64,083 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Council Bluffs, 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 Council Bluffs, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 87.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10.6% White 87.6% Black or African American 2.6% Asian 1.2% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 2.2% Two or more races 6.0% 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 Council Bluffs 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
Council Bluffs (this city) 62,564 $64,092
Dubuque 59,271 $64,985
Ames 66,112 $60,102
Waterloo 66,947 $56,344
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Council Bluffs, IA?

What is the population of Council Bluffs, IA? +

Council Bluffs, IA counts 62,564 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Council Bluffs, IA? +

Council Bluffs households earn a median of $64,092 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Council Bluffs? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Council Bluffs; 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 Council Bluffs, IA safe? +

Council Bluffs has a total crime rate of 2873.1 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Council Bluffs, IA? +

A typical home in Council Bluffs is worth $164,300, 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.

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.