City · Iowa
Garwin, Iowa
Garwin, city, in Tama County, Iowa. Garwin had 469 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 481 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 571 (±165). GEOID 1930045.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
469
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 481 · ACS 2020-2024: 571 ±165
Median household income
$55,714
±$17,322 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$87,600
±$7,900 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$750
±$217 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Garwin and what county is it in?
Garwin is a city in Tama County, Iowa. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 478 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 Garwin, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 469 people lived in Garwin on July 1, 2025, down 3.1% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 481 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 571 (±165).
| Measure | Garwin | Tama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 571 ±165 | 16,868 | no clear change |
| Households | 248 ±57 | 6,720 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.30 ±0.48 | 2.46 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 268 ±59 | 7,595 | no clear change |
Garwin's population since 2000
From 565 in 2000 to 469 in 2025: down 17.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Garwin 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 Garwin?
The median resident of Garwin is 41.2 years old; 15.6% are under 18 and 19.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.7%.
| Measure | Garwin | Tama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.2 ±13.0 | 41.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.6% ±5.8 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.6% ±7.8 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Male | 48.3% ±7.7 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.7% ±11.8 pts | 11.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.0% ±11.3 pts | 78.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.3% ±4.6 pts | 7.9% | – |
| With a disability | 12.1% ±6.1 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.9% ±1.9 pts | 6.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.2% ±8.8 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.5% ±4.3 pts | 20.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.6% ±3.9 pts | 90.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 Garwin earn?
Half of Garwin's 248 households earn less than $55,714 a year (±$17,322), against $70,781 in Tama County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $59,056 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Garwin | Tama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,714 ±$17,322 | $70,781 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $65,055 ±$7,364 | $83,931 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,304 ±$3,550 | $34,186 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.7% ±5.0 pts | 14.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.1% ±19.6 pts | 23.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.1% ±5.2 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.2% ±3.6 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.1% ±4.8 pts | 87.5% | – |
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 Garwin?
Owners occupy 82.3% of Garwin's occupied homes and renters 17.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $87,600 by its owner (±$7,900). The median renter pays $750 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Garwin | Tama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $87,600 ±$7,900 | $148,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $750 ±$217 | $872 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.3% ±11.8 pts | 33.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,082 ±$67 | $1,324 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.3% ±9.0 pts | 76.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.7% ±9.0 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Housing units | 268 ±59 | 7,595 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±11.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±39.2 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.9% ±7.0 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.6% ±5.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±5.5 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 46.3% ±10.8 pts | 38.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.8% ±2.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 Garwin building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Garwin 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 Garwin work and get to work?
88.7% of Garwin's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.8 minutes.
| Measure | Garwin | Tama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.7% ±9.2 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.7% ±5.9 pts | 78.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.7% ±5.4 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.8 min ±4.3 | 22.7 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 Garwin?
No census tract lies mostly in Garwin; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2903Tama County | 2,691 | $74,139 |
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 Garwin) · Census block assignment files
How does Garwin compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Garwin is the 13,465th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 457th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Garwin 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 | 457th | 939 |
Garwin's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Garwin 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 Garwin?
24 of the 57 figures for Garwin 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 Garwin 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 Garwin.