Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Garrison - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Garrison places in the 31st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
31st
percentile, household income
2nd
percentile, home value
11th
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: Garrison, IA
Iowa's Garrison is a small town, with 292 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Garrison brings in $57,083 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 15.9%. Typical homes in Garrison are valued around $65,000, and the median resident age is 40.3 years. Educational attainment runs 6.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Garrison (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Iowa scores 87.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $956 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 28.8 out of 100 (Very Low).
Population
292 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Iowa
Median Household Income
$57,083/yr
Poverty 15.9%
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
How does Garrison compare to other US cities?
Garrison measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income31% higher than other cities
Home value2% pricier than other cities
Median rent11% 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 Garrison against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Garrison near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Garrison ranks #779 - the 9th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garrison only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#605 of 845
28th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#369 of 858
54th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#764 of 849
10th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#95 of 858
89th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#779 of 858
9th 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.
31st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Garrison's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$65,000Among the most affordablemore affordable than 98% 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
Garrison, 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 Garrison, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)6.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)15.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
292
Median Income
$57,083
Median Home Value
$65,000
Median Age
40.3
Poverty Rate
15.9%
Labor force participation
61.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.7%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Garrison'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
1
1
0
$0.3M
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
1
1
0
$0.3M
2024
0
0
0
-
Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
87.1%
Carpool
5.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
5.7%
Based on 140 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 Garrison sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Garrison, IA?
What is the population of Garrison, IA?+
Garrison, IA counts 292 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Garrison, IA?+
Garrison households earn a median of $57,083 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Garrison?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Garrison; 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 Garrison, IA?+
The median home value in Garrison is $65,000, 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.