Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ellsworth - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Nationally, Ellsworth sits in the 54th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
54th
percentile, household income
19th
percentile, home value
19th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Ellsworth, IA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 525 residents in Ellsworth, a small town within Iowa. The typical household in Ellsworth brings in $73,021 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.4%. Typical homes in Ellsworth are valued around $125,000, and the median resident age is 31.7 years. 19.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits).
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $994 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Iowa run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.9 out of 100 (Low).
Population
525 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Iowa
Median Household Income
$73,021/yr
Poverty 3.4%
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
How does Ellsworth compare to other US cities?
Here's how Ellsworth stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income54% higher than other cities
Home value19% pricier than other cities
Median rent19% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Ellsworth against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of Iowa's city distribution
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Ellsworth ranks #590 - the 31st percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ellsworth only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#278 of 845
67th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#279 of 858
67th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#385 of 849
54th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#590 of 858
31st percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#354 of 858
58th percentile in Iowa
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Ellsworth's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$125,000Among the most affordablemore affordable than 81% of 15,600 US cities
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
Ellsworth, 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 Ellsworth, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)19.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
525
Median Income
$73,021
Median Home Value
$125,000
Median Age
31.7
Poverty Rate
3.4%
Labor force participation
63.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.7%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Ellsworth's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
89.6%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.9%
Work from Home
1.7%
Other
2.5%
Based on 240 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 Ellsworth sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Ellsworth, IA?
What is the population of Ellsworth, IA?+
Ellsworth, IA counts 525 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Ellsworth, IA?+
The median household income in Ellsworth is $73,021 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Ellsworth?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ellsworth; 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.
What is the median home value in Ellsworth, IA?+
Homes in Ellsworth carry a median value of $125,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.