City · Iowa
Essex, Iowa
Essex, city, in Page County, Iowa. Essex had 712 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 722 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 854 (±165). GEOID 1925815.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
712
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 722 · ACS 2020-2024: 854 ±165
Median household income
$58,095
±$4,983 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$89,900
±$26,883 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$598
±$218 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Essex and what county is it in?
Essex is a city in Page County, Iowa. It covers 1.6 square miles of land, 442 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 Essex, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 712 people lived in Essex on July 1, 2025, down 1.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 722 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 854 (±165).
| Measure | Essex | Page County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 854 ±165 | 15,131 | no clear change |
| Households | 388 ±74 | 6,255 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.20 ±0.34 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 408 ±75 | 7,004 | no clear change |
Essex's population since 2000
From 884 in 2000 to 712 in 2025: down 19.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Essex 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 Essex?
The median resident of Essex is 47.2 years old; 20.3% are under 18 and 24.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 14.2%.
| Measure | Essex | Page County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 ±8.4 | 45.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.3% ±6.1 pts | 19.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.9% ±7.0 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Male | 48.5% ±6.0 pts | 52.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.2% ±6.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.1% ±6.6 pts | 90.3% | −13.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±1.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.4% ±2.1 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4% ±3.5 pts | 8.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.9% ±3.2 pts | 17.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.2% ±1.8 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.5% ±6.4 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.9% ±6.3 pts | 19.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±3.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.8% ±6.3 pts | 84.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
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 Essex earn?
Half of Essex's 388 households earn less than $58,095 a year (±$4,983), against $57,953 in Page County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $64,555 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Essex | Page County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,095 ±$4,983 | $57,953 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $73,823 ±$16,741 | $76,498 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,004 ±$7,807 | $33,365 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.4% ±6.4 pts | 13.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.7% ±10.2 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.6% ±3.4 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 82.0% ±9.6 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 78.1% ±10.2 pts | 86.8% | – |
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 Essex?
Owners occupy 79.1% of Essex's occupied homes and renters 20.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,900 by its owner (±$26,883). The median renter pays $598 a month including utilities, and 12.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Essex | Page County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $89,900 ±$26,883 | $125,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $598 ±$218 | $705 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 12.7% ±8.2 pts | 27.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,032 ±$100 | $1,178 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.1% ±8.6 pts | 70.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.9% ±8.6 pts | 29.5% | – |
| Housing units | 408 ±75 | 7,004 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±26.1 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.5% ±7.6 pts | 80.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 45.6% ±10.5 pts | 41.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.8% ±1.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
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 Essex building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Essex 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 Essex work and get to work?
84.2% of Essex's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.7 minutes.
| Measure | Essex | Page County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.0% ±8.9 pts | 54.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.2% ±5.8 pts | 78.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.9% ±5.4 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 2.1% ±2.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.9% ±2.7 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.7 min ±4.2 | 17.8 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 Essex?
No census tract lies mostly in Essex; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4901Page County | 2,655 | $74,522 |
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 Essex) · Census block assignment files
How does Essex compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Essex is the 11,758th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 363rd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Essex 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 | 363rd | 939 |
Essex's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Essex 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 Essex?
22 of the 57 figures for Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex.