City · Iowa
Harlan, Iowa
Harlan, city, in Shelby County, Iowa. Harlan had 4,859 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,893 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,891 (±17). GEOID 1934500.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,859
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,893 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,891 ±17
Median household income
$57,488
±$12,331 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$152,500
±$11,831 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$783
±$134 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Harlan and what county is it in?
Harlan is a city in Shelby County, Iowa. It covers 4.4 square miles of land, 1,107 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 Harlan, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,859 people lived in Harlan on July 1, 2025, down 0.6% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 4,893 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,891 (±17).
| Measure | Harlan | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,891 ±17 | 11,778 | +46 |
| Households | 2,017 ±133 | 4,882 | −271 |
| Average household size | 2.37 ±0.15 | 2.37 | +0.30 |
| Housing units | 2,229 ±135 | 5,441 | −347 |
Harlan's population since 2000
From 5,282 in 2000 to 4,859 in 2025: down 8.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Harlan 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 Harlan?
The median resident of Harlan is 44.6 years old; 21.9% are under 18 and 23.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.8%. 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Harlan | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.6 ±4.2 | 44.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.9% ±2.8 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.9% ±3.0 pts | 23.1% | – |
| Male | 47.7% ±2.5 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.8% ±2.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.5% ±2.9 pts | 91.3% | −3.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±2.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4% ±1.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.1% ±2.6 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.0% ±2.7 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 8.9% ±2.3 pts | 10.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.7% ±1.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.0% ±2.5 pts | 95.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.1% ±5.6 pts | 24.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.6% ±3.4 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.0% ±3.0 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.0% ±2.4 pts | 1.7% | – |
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 Harlan earn?
Half of Harlan's 2,017 households earn less than $57,488 a year (±$12,331), against $72,738 in Shelby County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $64,074 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Harlan | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,488 ±$12,331 | $72,738 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $85,369 ±$11,083 | $97,055 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,556 ±$4,683 | $40,510 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.1% ±3.9 pts | 7.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.1% ±5.3 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.3% ±5.3 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.1% ±5.1 pts | 88.3% | – |
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 Harlan?
Owners occupy 72.3% of Harlan's occupied homes and renters 27.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,500 by its owner (±$11,831). The median renter pays $783 a month including utilities, and 45.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Harlan | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $152,500 ±$11,831 | $164,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $783 ±$134 | $783 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.2% ±17.3 pts | 39.4% | +28.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,321 ±$51 | $1,326 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.3% ±7.7 pts | 77.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.7% ±7.7 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Housing units | 2,229 ±135 | 5,441 | −347 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.4% ±12.4 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 78.0% ±4.6 pts | 87.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.7% ±4.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.6% ±2.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.9% ±6.9 pts | 46.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±2.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
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 Harlan building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Harlan 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 Harlan work and get to work?
78.8% of Harlan's workers drive alone and 10.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 13.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.8%.
| Measure | Harlan | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.8% ±5.5 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% ±2.9 pts | 3.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 78.8% ±6.2 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2% ±3.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 4.3% ±2.7 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.2% ±4.7 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 13.7 min ±2.6 | 18.5 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 Harlan?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Harlan (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $55,538 (Tract 9604) to $84,779 (Tract 9603).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Shelby County | 3,356 | $84,779 |
| Tract 9604Shelby County | 2,253 | $55,538 |
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 Harlan) · Census block assignment files
How does Harlan compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Harlan is the 4,975th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 88th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Harlan ranks 240th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 88th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 140th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 130th | 279 |
| Median household income | 240th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 132nd | 279 |
| Median home value | 172nd | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 179th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 139th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 169th | 279 |
| Median age | 50th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 155th | 279 |
| Work from home | 94th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 255th | 279 |
Harlan's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Harlan 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 Harlan?
13 of the 57 figures for Harlan 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 Harlan 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 Harlan.