City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Estherville, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Estherville - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

5,865
Residents
$54,624
Median income
$96,300
Median home
$919
Median rent (state)

Estherville - the verdict

Estherville ranks in the 27th percentile for household income and the 82nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

27th
percentile, household income
8th
percentile, home value
6th
percentile, median rent
82nd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Estherville, IA

Estherville is a small town in Iowa, home to 5,865 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Estherville households earn a median of $54,624 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.1%. Home values in Estherville run a median of $96,300, and the median resident age is 40.5 years. Educational attainment runs 13.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 69 residential building permits were authorized in Estherville (Building Boom), up 3350% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Estherville reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 585.4 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Estherville's yearly average temperature at 44.8°F with 31.7 inches of precipitation per year.

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $919 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Estherville workers runs 20.5 minutes, with 74.8% driving alone and 5.1% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 42.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

5,865 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$54,624 /yr

Poverty 8.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Estherville compare to other US cities?

Where Estherville sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 27% higher than other cities
Home value 8% pricier than other cities
Median rent 6% pricier than other cities
Safety 82% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Iowa alone, Estherville ranks #47 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Estherville's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Iowa, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

27thIncome percentile
82ndSafety percentile

27th percentile nationally for median household income · 82nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Estherville's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Estherville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 67 Avg. percentile National median
Estherville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Estherville's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$96,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 92% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Estherville $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Household income distribution - Estherville, IA Estherville, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Estherville, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Estherville, IA median $54,624/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Estherville, 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 Estherville, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,865
Median Income
$54,624
Median Home Value
$96,300
Median Age
40.5
Poverty Rate
8.1%
Labor force participation
63.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
585.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
275.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
309.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
44.8°F
Annual Precipitation
31.7"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,750 residents5,800 residents5,850 residents5,900 residents5,950 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,879 residents 5,807 residents ▼ -1.2%
Estherville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
69
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
67
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 2
2021 65
2022 2
2023 4
2024 69

Permit volume increased 3350% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.5 minutes
Drive Alone
74.8%
Carpool
10.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.2%
Work from Home
5.1%
Other
3.3%

Based on 3,146 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 Estherville sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$919/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
42.7 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Oelwein
5,878 people
Polk City
5,833 people
Asbury
5,949 people
Maquoketa
6,105 people
Independence
6,149 people
Anamosa
5,553 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Estherville's 5,865 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Spring Grove, IL
5,866 people
East Farmingdale, NY
5,866 people
Media, PA
5,868 people
Steele Creek, AK
5,861 people
Belmar, NJ
5,861 people
Hightstown, NJ
5,869 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Estherville's $54,624 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Ossineke, MI
$54,625 median income
Hardin, TX
$54,625 median income
Celoron, NY
$54,632 median income
Xenia, OH
$54,616 median income
Syracuse, KS
$54,615 median income
Fountain Hill, PA
$54,615 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Estherville, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Estherville, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.3% 9.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 13.5% White 86.3% Black or African American 2.7% Asian 0.3% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.0% Two or more races 9.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Estherville compares to nearby Iowa cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Estherville (this city) 5,865 $54,624
Oelwein 5,878 $49,821
Polk City 5,833 $163,000
Asbury 5,949 $130,071
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Estherville, IA?

What is the population of Estherville, IA? +

Estherville, IA has a population of 5,865 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Estherville, IA? +

In Estherville, the typical household earns $54,624 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Estherville? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Estherville; 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.

Is Estherville, IA safe? +

Estherville has a total crime rate of 585.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Estherville, IA? +

Estherville's median home value sits at $96,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Estherville? +

Climate normals put Estherville's yearly average temperature at 44.8°F, 31.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.