City · Iowa
Hartley, Iowa
Hartley, city, in O'Brien County, Iowa. Hartley had 1,579 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,605 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,553 (±172). GEOID 1934725.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,579
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,605 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,553 ±172
Median household income
$57,656
±$7,919 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$112,700
±$16,071 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$779
±$138 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Hartley and what county is it in?
Hartley is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 1,207 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 Hartley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,579 people lived in Hartley on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,605 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,553 (±172).
| Measure | Hartley | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,553 ±172 | 14,126 | no clear change |
| Households | 712 ±85 | 5,809 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.08 ±0.19 | 2.36 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 797 ±84 | 6,564 | no clear change |
Hartley's population since 2000
From 1,733 in 2000 to 1,579 in 2025: down 8.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hartley 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 Hartley?
The median resident of Hartley is 47.9 years old; 17.5% are under 18 and 26.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.9%.
| Measure | Hartley | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.9 ±7.5 | 39.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.5% ±4.5 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.7% ±4.5 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±4.1 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.9% ±4.5 pts | 7.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.1% ±5.0 pts | 87.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.6% ±2.7 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.1% ±3.8 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.4% ±3.5 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 18.5% ±3.6 pts | 14.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.4% ±1.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.9% ±4.8 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.6% ±3.8 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.2% ±2.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.8% ±6.1 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Hartley earn?
Half of Hartley's 712 households earn less than $57,656 a year (±$7,919), against $68,356 in O'Brien County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $51,009 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hartley | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,656 ±$7,919 | $68,356 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $67,323 ±$5,084 | $84,439 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,188 ±$2,984 | $35,198 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±4.4 pts | 13.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.8% ±11.9 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.3% ±3.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.0% ±5.8 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.5% ±5.5 pts | 90.1% | – |
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 Hartley?
Owners occupy 79.8% of Hartley's occupied homes and renters 20.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $112,700 by its owner (±$16,071). The median renter pays $779 a month including utilities, and 28.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Hartley | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $112,700 ±$16,071 | $173,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $779 ±$138 | $868 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.2% ±15.3 pts | 26.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,115 ±$90 | $1,357 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.8% ±4.9 pts | 76.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.2% ±4.9 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Housing units | 797 ±84 | 6,564 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.5% ±10.0 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.7% ±5.2 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.5% ±1.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.4% ±5.4 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.3% ±5.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
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 Hartley building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Hartley in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.6 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 Hartley work and get to work?
84.9% of Hartley's workers drive alone and 5.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.0 minutes.
| Measure | Hartley | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.5% ±6.2 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.9% ±5.2 pts | 79.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.3% ±2.8 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 4.5% ±3.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.7% ±2.6 pts | 7.1% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.0 min ±3.9 | 19.0 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 Hartley?
No census tract lies mostly in Hartley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4901O'Brien County | 2,551 | $68,889 |
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 Hartley) · Census block assignment files
How does Hartley compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hartley is the 8,568th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 200th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Hartley ranks 237th 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 | 200th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 177th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 100th | 279 |
| Median household income | 237th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 222nd | 279 |
| Median home value | 251st | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 184th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 82nd | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 267th | 279 |
| Median age | 21st | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 75th | 279 |
| Work from home | 180th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 122nd | 279 |
Hartley's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Hartley 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 Hartley?
21 of the 57 figures for Hartley 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 Hartley 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 Hartley.