City · Iowa
Defiance, Iowa
Defiance, city, in Shelby County, Iowa. Defiance had 242 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 245 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 251 (±78). GEOID 1919585.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
242
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 245 · ACS 2020-2024: 251 ±78
Median household income
$53,542
±$14,672 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$101,600
±$31,190 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$770
±$166 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Defiance and what county is it in?
Defiance is a city in Shelby County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 657 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 Defiance, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 242 people lived in Defiance on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 245 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 251 (±78).
| Measure | Defiance | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 251 ±78 | 11,778 | no clear change |
| Households | 119 ±37 | 4,882 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.11 ±0.36 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 123 ±37 | 5,441 | no clear change |
Defiance's population since 2000
From 346 in 2000 to 242 in 2025: down 30.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Defiance 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 Defiance?
The median resident of Defiance is 36.2 years old; 18.3% are under 18 and 18.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.8%.
| Measure | Defiance | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.2 ±11.9 | 44.3 | −17.5 |
| Under 18 years | 18.3% ±6.1 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.7% ±7.3 pts | 23.1% | – |
| Male | 53.8% ±7.3 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.8% ±13.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.0% ±13.3 pts | 91.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±2.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.4% ±10.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.6% ±12.9 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±3.4 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 12.7% ±6.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.8% ±4.3 pts | 2.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.6% ±12.3 pts | 95.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.4% ±7.5 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±3.8 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.2% ±5.2 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±1.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
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 Defiance earn?
Half of Defiance's 119 households earn less than $53,542 a year (±$14,672), against $72,738 in Shelby County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $57,945 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Defiance | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,542 ±$14,672 | $72,738 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,963 ±$34,414 | $97,055 | – |
| Per capita income | $42,810 ±$16,116 | $40,510 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.6% ±12.0 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.2% ±17.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.1% ±15.6 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.4% ±6.9 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.6% ±7.3 pts | 88.3% | – |
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 Defiance?
Owners occupy 89.9% of Defiance's occupied homes and renters 10.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $101,600 by its owner (±$31,190). The median renter pays $770 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Defiance | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $101,600 ±$31,190 | $164,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $770 ±$166 | $783 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±75.1 pts | 39.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,028 ±$130 | $1,326 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 89.9% ±8.8 pts | 77.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.1% ±8.8 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Housing units | 123 ±37 | 5,441 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±20.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±75.1 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 91.9% ±7.4 pts | 87.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.5% ±7.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±18.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.8% ±1.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 45.5% ±15.2 pts | 46.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.7% ±2.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
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 Defiance building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Defiance in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Defiance work and get to work?
72.7% of Defiance's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.7 minutes.
| Measure | Defiance | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.2% ±8.9 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.7% ±1.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.7% ±13.0 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.7% ±6.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±15.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 10.7% ±13.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.7 min ±4.4 | 18.5 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 Defiance?
No census tract lies mostly in Defiance; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9601Shelby County | 3,157 | $77,723 |
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 Defiance) · Census block assignment files
How does Defiance compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Defiance is the 15,894th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 617th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Defiance 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 | 617th | 939 |
Defiance's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Defiance 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 Defiance?
28 of the 57 figures for Defiance 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 Defiance 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 Defiance.