City · Iowa

Elk Run Heights, Iowa

Elk Run Heights, city, in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Elk Run Heights had 1,053 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,069 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 964 (±154). GEOID 1924870.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

1,053

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,069 · ACS 2020-2024: 964 ±154

Median household income

$76,500

±$8,759 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059

Median home value

$171,200

±$11,214 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000

Median gross rent

$1,125

±$550 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972

Where is Elk Run Heights and what county is it in?

Elk Run Heights is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa. It covers 1.1 square miles of land, 986 residents per square mile in 2020.

Elk Run Heights is in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Elk Run Heights (marked with a dot) in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Elk Run Heights, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 1,053 people lived in Elk Run Heights on July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,069 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 964 (±154).

  • July 2020→2021 −4 (1,063)
  • 2021→2022 −8 (1,055)
  • 2022→2023 +0 (1,055)
  • 2023→2024 +1 (1,056)
  • 2024→2025 −3 (1,053)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Elk Run HeightsBlack Hawk CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Total population 964 ±154 131,049 3,210,507 no clear change
Households 440 ±74 54,563 1,315,707 no clear change
Average household size 2.19 ±0.23 2.31 2.36 no clear change
Housing units 466 ±76 58,991 1,437,699 no clear change

Elk Run Heights's population since 2000

From 1,052 in 2000 to 1,053 in 2025: up 0.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Elk Run Heights 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.

  • 2000 Census 1,052
  • 2005 (estimate) 1,099
  • 2010 Census 1,117
  • 2015 (estimate) 1,144
  • 2020 Census 1,069
  • 2025 (estimate) 1,053

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 Elk Run Heights?

The median resident of Elk Run Heights is 55.7 years old; 13.6% are under 18 and 27.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.5%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Elk Run HeightsBlack Hawk CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median age 55.7 ±5.3 35.7 38.6 no clear change
Under 18 years 13.6% ±4.3 pts 21.9% 22.9% –
65 years and over 27.4% ±8.0 pts 17.7% 18.1% –
Male 51.3% ±4.1 pts 49.2% 50.2% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.1% ±4.5 pts 5.2% 7.3% –
White alone, not Hispanic 88.6% ±5.8 pts 78.1% 82.3% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 0.3% ±0.4 pts 9.1% 3.8% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.5% ±0.7 pts 2.7% 2.5% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±2.6 pts 0.1% 0.2% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±2.6 pts 0.7% 0.2% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 5.5% ±4.0 pts 3.9% 3.5% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±2.6 pts 0.2% 0.3% –
Born outside the United States 0.7% ±0.8 pts 6.5% 5.9% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 3.3% ±2.9 pts 8.8% 9.1% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 9.6% ±3.8 pts 5.7% 6.5% –
With a disability 18.8% ±6.5 pts 13.3% 12.6% –
No health insurance coverage 3.5% ±2.1 pts 5.1% 5.0% –
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 95.1% ±3.1 pts 92.9% 93.3% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 17.0% ±5.5 pts 30.3% 31.4% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 4.8% ±3.0 pts 11.0% 10.5% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 93.8% ±3.7 pts 83.8% 87.1% –
Moved from another state in the past year 1.7% ±1.6 pts 1.8% 2.2% –

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 Elk Run Heights earn?

Half of Elk Run Heights's 440 households earn less than $76,500 a year (±$8,759), against $66,417 in Black Hawk County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $74,034 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Elk Run HeightsBlack Hawk CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $76,500 ±$8,759 $66,417 $75,059 no clear change
Mean household income $93,306 ±$16,431 $89,163 $98,187 –
Per capita income $42,813 ±$7,661 $37,541 $40,877 no clear change
People below the poverty line 4.0% ±2.7 pts 14.9% 11.1% –
Children under 18 below the poverty line 0.0% ±17.8 pts 17.2% 12.9% –
Households receiving SNAP 3.4% ±4.1 pts 11.1% 8.8% –
Households with a computer 94.3% ±4.0 pts 95.2% 94.7% –
Households with a broadband subscription 91.1% ±5.0 pts 89.4% 88.9% –

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 Elk Run Heights?

Owners occupy 93.2% of Elk Run Heights's occupied homes and renters 6.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,200 by its owner (±$11,214). The median renter pays $1,125 a month including utilities.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Elk Run HeightsBlack Hawk CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $171,200 ±$11,214 $188,900 $208,000 no clear change
Median gross rent $1,125 ±$550 $989 $972 no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 46.7% ±37.9 pts 41.0% 35.2% –
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,400 ±$89 $1,429 $1,533 –
Owner-occupied homes 93.2% ±5.1 pts 66.2% 71.7% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 6.8% ±5.1 pts 33.8% 28.3% –
Housing units 466 ±76 58,991 1,437,699 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.7% ±1.1 pts 1.3% 0.8% –
Rental vacancy rate 0.0% ±47.5 pts 6.5% 5.7% –
Single-family detached homes 96.1% ±4.1 pts 69.8% 72.2% –
Mobile homes 0.0% ±5.2 pts 3.0% 3.2% –
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±5.2 pts 1.0% 1.7% –
Built 2010 to 2019 4.5% ±2.5 pts 7.6% 9.2% –
Built 1939 or earlier 6.7% ±7.8 pts 18.2% 23.5% –
Households with no vehicle 0.7% ±1.3 pts 6.3% 5.4% –

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 Elk Run Heights building?

Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Elk Run Heights in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.9 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.

  • 2019 1 units
  • 2020 2 units
  • 2021 0 units
  • 2022 0 units
  • 2023 1 units
  • 2024 1 units
  • 2025 1 units

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 Elk Run Heights work and get to work?

80.2% of Elk Run Heights's workers drive alone and 9.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.5 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Elk Run HeightsBlack Hawk CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 59.7% ±8.4 pts 66.7% 66.4% –
Unemployment rate 1.0% ±1.2 pts 4.6% 3.6% –
Drove alone to work 80.2% ±6.3 pts 78.4% 76.0% –
Carpooled 4.2% ±3.2 pts 8.5% 7.8% –
Public transportation 0.0% ±4.9 pts 0.2% 0.7% –
Walked 4.8% ±3.8 pts 3.0% 2.9% –
Worked from home 9.6% ±4.7 pts 8.9% 11.3% –
Mean travel time to work 18.5 min ±5.6 15.9 min 19.8 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 Elk Run Heights?

No census tract lies mostly in Elk Run Heights; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Elk Run Heights, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Elk Run Heights
Tract 20Black Hawk County5,104 $61,566 $152,90015%
Tract 27Black Hawk County3,591 $86,125 $226,0006%
Tract 8Black Hawk County3,454 $48,866 $84,2001%

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 Elk Run Heights) · Census block assignment files

How does Elk Run Heights compare with other places in Iowa?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Elk Run Heights is the 10,068th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 266th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.

Elk Run Heights ranks 103rd of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Elk Run Heights's rank in Iowa (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate266th939
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)165th275
Residents per square mile163rd279
Median household income103rd279
Per capita income67th279
Median home value136th279
Median gross rent27th266
Bachelor's degree or higher241st279
Median age6th279
Owner-occupied share5th279
Work from home105th221
Travel time to work179th279

Elk Run Heights's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)

Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Elk Run Heights 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 Elk Run Heights?

25 of the 57 figures for Elk Run Heights 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 Elk Run Heights 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 Elk Run Heights.