City · Iowa
Earling, Iowa
Earling, city, in Shelby County, Iowa. Earling had 387 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 397 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 478 (±103). GEOID 1923385.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
387
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 397 · ACS 2020-2024: 478 ±103
Median household income
$43,750
±$13,158 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$125,000
±$34,525 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$815
±$163 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Earling and what county is it in?
Earling is a city in Shelby County, Iowa. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 632 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 Earling, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 387 people lived in Earling on July 1, 2025, down 2.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 397 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 478 (±103).
| Measure | Earling | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 478 ±103 | 11,778 | no clear change |
| Households | 218 ±46 | 4,882 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.02 ±0.28 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 227 ±48 | 5,441 | no clear change |
Earling's population since 2000
From 471 in 2000 to 387 in 2025: down 17.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Earling 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 Earling?
The median resident of Earling is 41.5 years old; 22.2% are under 18 and 22.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.4%.
| Measure | Earling | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 ±11.1 | 44.3 | −14.5 |
| Under 18 years | 22.2% ±6.8 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.6% ±8.3 pts | 23.1% | – |
| Male | 45.8% ±5.8 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.4% ±5.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.7% ±5.9 pts | 91.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.8% ±4.9 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 9.8% ±4.8 pts | 10.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.9% ±4.8 pts | 95.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.9% ±9.9 pts | 24.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.4% ±4.2 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.4% ±8.0 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±3.4 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 Earling earn?
Half of Earling's 218 households earn less than $43,750 a year (±$13,158), against $72,738 in Shelby County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $54,868 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Earling | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,750 ±$13,158 | $72,738 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,500 ±$10,827 | $97,055 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,531 ±$5,223 | $40,510 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.3% ±9.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.5% ±11.8 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.5% ±8.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.2% ±6.9 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.1% ±8.9 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 Earling?
Owners occupy 76.1% of Earling's occupied homes and renters 23.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $125,000 by its owner (±$34,525). The median renter pays $815 a month including utilities, and 42.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Earling | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $125,000 ±$34,525 | $164,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $815 ±$163 | $783 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.3% ±27.0 pts | 39.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,198 ±$159 | $1,326 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.1% ±10.1 pts | 77.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 23.9% ±10.1 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Housing units | 227 ±48 | 5,441 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±35.8 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.5% ±5.5 pts | 87.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.2% ±3.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.4% ±1.0 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 39.2% ±9.7 pts | 46.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.9% ±1.4 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 Earling building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Earling 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 Earling work and get to work?
83.7% of Earling's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.2 minutes.
| Measure | Earling | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 55.0% ±11.0 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% ±7.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.7% ±9.2 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.0% ±2.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±1.5 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.7% ±8.4 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.2 min ±3.8 | 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 Earling?
No census tract lies mostly in Earling; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Shelby County | 3,012 | $77,257 |
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 Earling) · Census block assignment files
How does Earling compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Earling is the 14,243rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 491st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Earling 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 | 491st | 939 |
Earling's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Earling 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 Earling?
25 of the 57 figures for Earling 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 Earling 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 Earling.