City · Iowa
Eldora, Iowa
Eldora, city, in Hardin County, Iowa. Eldora had 2,593 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,663 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,617 (±21). GEOID 1924465.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,593
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,663 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,617 ±21
Median household income
$77,188
±$10,675 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$133,000
±$35,805 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$750
±$105 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Eldora and what county is it in?
Eldora is a city in Hardin County, Iowa. It covers 4.3 square miles of land, 622 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 Eldora, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,593 people lived in Eldora on July 1, 2025, down 2.6% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 2,663 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,617 (±21).
| Measure | Eldora | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,617 ±21 | 16,639 | no clear change |
| Households | 936 ±80 | 7,038 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.57 ±0.22 | 2.27 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,111 ±104 | 8,011 | no clear change |
Eldora's population since 2000
From 3,035 in 2000 to 2,593 in 2025: down 14.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Eldora 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 Eldora?
The median resident of Eldora is 39.5 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.0%. 5.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Eldora | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 ±2.1 | 45.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±3.2 pts | 19.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.4% ±2.5 pts | 23.8% | – |
| Male | 56.1% ±3.3 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.3% ±3.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.3% ±4.9 pts | 90.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±1.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±1.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.0% ±2.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.8% ±3.4 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.2% ±3.9 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.3% ±2.0 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 17.8% ±4.9 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.1% ±3.4 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.6% ±5.9 pts | 93.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.1% ±5.7 pts | 21.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.7% ±3.6 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.5% ±4.4 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.9% ±1.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Eldora earn?
Half of Eldora's 936 households earn less than $77,188 a year (±$10,675), against $65,069 in Hardin County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 the median was $58,997 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $18,191 after inflation. 12.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Eldora | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,188 ±$10,675 | $65,069 | +$18,191 |
| Mean household income | $86,267 ±$8,906 | $79,622 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,803 ±$3,651 | $36,477 | +$6,490 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.0% ±7.0 pts | 9.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.1% ±8.5 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.4% ±5.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.7% ±3.7 pts | 89.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.9% ±5.2 pts | 85.4% | – |
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 Eldora?
Owners occupy 69.1% of Eldora's occupied homes and renters 30.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $133,000 by its owner (±$35,805). The median renter pays $750 a month including utilities, and 22.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Eldora | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $133,000 ±$35,805 | $122,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $750 ±$105 | $795 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.5% ±13.5 pts | 33.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,320 ±$104 | $1,236 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.1% ±7.8 pts | 73.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.9% ±7.8 pts | 26.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,111 ±104 | 8,011 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.3% ±5.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 12.4% ±12.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.8% ±6.8 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.9% ±5.0 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.8% ±2.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 32.7% ±7.3 pts | 34.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.2% ±3.1 pts | 5.3% | – |
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 Eldora building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Eldora 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 Eldora work and get to work?
76.9% of Eldora's workers drive alone and 4.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.5 minutes.
| Measure | Eldora | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.5% ±6.0 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% ±3.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 76.9% ±6.1 pts | 79.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.7% ±3.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 6.3% ±4.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.0% ±2.1 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.5 min ±4.1 | 21.6 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 Eldora?
1 census tract lies mostly in Eldora (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4806Hardin County | 2,762 | $76,875 |
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 Eldora) · Census block assignment files
How does Eldora compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Eldora is the 6,791st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 137th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Eldora ranks 100th 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 | 137th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 219th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 244th | 279 |
| Median household income | 100th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 204th | 279 |
| Median home value | 208th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 205th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 92nd | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 184th | 279 |
| Median age | 146th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 189th | 279 |
| Work from home | 214th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 153rd | 279 |
Eldora's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Eldora 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 Eldora?
13 of the 57 figures for Eldora 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 Eldora 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 Eldora.