City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Goldfield, IA

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

616
Residents
$54,500
Median income
$87,800
Median home
$919
Median rent (state)

Goldfield - the verdict

Goldfield ranks in the 26th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

26th
percentile, household income
6th
percentile, home value
6th
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: Goldfield, IA

616 people live in Goldfield, Iowa - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Goldfield households earn a median of $54,500 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.8%. Home values in Goldfield run a median of $87,800, and the median resident age is 45.4 years. Educational attainment runs 20.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 50.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Goldfield (No Permits), per Census BPS data.

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. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 41.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

616 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$54,500 /yr

Poverty 12.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Goldfield compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 26% higher than other cities
Home value 6% pricier than other cities
Median rent 6% 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

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 Goldfield'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.

26thIncome percentile

26th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Goldfield's home value compares nationally

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

$87,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 94% 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. Goldfield $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 - Goldfield, IA Goldfield, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Goldfield, 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 Goldfield, IA median $54,500/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%
Goldfield, 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 Goldfield, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.0%

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

Population
616
Median Income
$54,500
Median Home Value
$87,800
Median Age
45.4
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Labor force participation
50.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.8%

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
610 residents615 residents620 residents625 residents630 residents635 residents 202020212022202320242025 632 residents 616 residents ▼ -2.5%
Goldfield'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
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
83.6%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
7.3%
Other
1.5%

Based on 262 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 Goldfield 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
41.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Albion
617 people
Grand Junction
615 people
Elma
618 people
Rolfe
618 people
Gilman
613 people
Ireton
613 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Goldfield's 616 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Tuntutuliak, AK
616 people
Fort Jones, CA
616 people
Glen St. Mary, FL
616 people
Watson, IL
616 people
Island, KY
616 people
Hartville, MO
616 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Goldfield's $54,500 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Franklin, AR
$54,500 median income
Iroquois, IL
$54,500 median income
Shelby, IN
$54,500 median income
Boyd, MN
$54,500 median income
Holcomb, MO
$54,500 median income
Scribner, NE
$54,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Goldfield, 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 Goldfield, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.8% 6.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.0% White 90.8% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.1% Two or more races 6.0% 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 Goldfield 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
Goldfield (this city) 616 $54,500
Albion 617 $73,750
Grand Junction 615 $52,292
Elma 618 $41,528
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Goldfield, IA?

What is the population of Goldfield, IA? +

Goldfield, IA has a population of 616 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Goldfield is $54,500 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Goldfield? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Goldfield; 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 Goldfield, IA? +

A typical home in Goldfield is worth $87,800, 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.

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.