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Place dossier plate
SheetIA-HIAWATHA-IA · Hiawatha, IA 7,178 pop · income 47th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Hiawatha
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Hiawatha on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Gonzales · lowest
50,324
Gonzales · lowest
50,324 median HH income
29.1% of the leader · rank #1
Hiawatha · this city
67,628
Hiawatha · this city
67,628 median HH income
39.1% of the leader · rank #2
Richland Hills · near
67,628
Richland Hills · near
67,628 median HH income
39.1% of the leader · rank #3
Lexington-Fay… · near
67,631
Lexington-Fay… · near
67,631 median HH income
39.1% of the leader · rank #4
Cambridge · near
67,632
Cambridge · near
67,632 median HH income
39.1% of the leader · rank #5
New Egypt · near
67,633
New Egypt · near
67,633 median HH income
39.1% of the leader · rank #6
Sausalito · highest
173,030
Sausalito · highest
173,030 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Hiawatha on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 7,178.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Hiawatha - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Hiawatha lands in the 47th percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
47th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
51st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Hiawatha, IA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 7,178 residents in Hiawatha, a small town within Iowa. The typical household in Hiawatha brings in $67,628 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.1%. Home values in Hiawatha run a median of $210,200, and the median resident age is 33.4 years. About 32.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 62.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 63 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier. Hiawatha reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1341.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $989 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Hiawatha's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Hiawatha, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is Hiawatha growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +252 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 63 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Which cities make useful reference points for Hiawatha?
Within Iowa, the closest population matches are Washington (7,314 residents, $56,536 income); Charles City (7,321 residents, $56,734 income); Nevada (6,952 residents, $75,221 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are South Haven, IN (7,177 residents); Gonzales, TX (7,180 residents); Wetumpka, AL (7,182 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 32.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Hiawatha?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1341.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 41% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Hiawatha?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 84.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
1.1%
Work from home
8.4%
Drive alone
84.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 3,496 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Hiawatha?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$67,628
Home value
$210,200
Value / income
3.1×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Below median income · poverty 12.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
C-
City profile score · Hiawatha, IA
51/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share C+
32.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$67,628
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
360 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Hiawatha profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Bachelor's+ share: 62/100 (C+) · 32.4%
Household income: 46/100 (D) · $67,628
Poverty rate: 31/100 (F) · 12.1%
Violent crime: 25/100 (F) · 360 /100k
Where Hiawatha sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Hiawatha's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Hiawatha highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Hiawatha, IA (this city): home $210,200, crime 1,342/100k
Gonzales, TX : home $184,600, crime 3,384/100k
Wetumpka, AL : home $184,100, crime 1,476/100k
Sausalito, CA : home $1,858,900, crime 1,814/100k
Washington, IA : home $144,500, crime 2,091/100k
Charles City, IA : home $118,900, crime 1,157/100k
Creston, IA : home $112,600, crime 1,307/100k
Knoxville, IA : home $147,600, crime 2,044/100k
Atlantic, IA : home $134,900, crime 2,361/100k
How does Hiawatha compare to other US cities?
Hiawatha measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income47% higher than other cities
Home value46% pricier than other cities
Median rent11% pricier than other cities
Safety51% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Iowa and the picture shifts: Hiawatha ranks #98 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Hiawatha against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Hiawatha near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Hiawatha ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Hiawatha only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#373 of 845
56th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#120 of 849
86th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#153 of 858
82nd percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#100 of 858
88th percentile in Iowa
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
47th percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Hiawatha's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Hiawatha's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Hiawatha's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$210,200Among the most affordablemore affordable than 54% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Hiawatha's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,223 of 15,516
More affordable than 53% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,021 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.1×, Hiawatha sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,223 of 15,516 and #6,021 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$67,628Hiawatha, IA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Hiawatha, IA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Hiawatha, IA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)32.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)62.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
7,178
Median Income
$67,628
Median Home Value
$210,200
Median Age
33.4
Poverty Rate
12.1%
Labor force participation
62.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1341.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
359.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
982.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Hiawatha's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
7,180 residents
2021
7,144 residents
2022
7,122 residents
2023
7,193 residents
2024
7,315 residents
2025
7,432 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
63
housing units authorized
Single-Family
51
detached homes
Multifamily
12
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
21
21
0
$7.0M
2020
18
18
0
$6.5M
2021
35
23
12
$10.8M
2022
58
58
0
$18.2M
2023
57
41
16
$18.0M
2024
63
51
12
$21.4M
Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
84.0%
Carpool
5.9%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
8.4%
Based on 3,496 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Iowa statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Iowa at $212 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Iowa statewide averages, not a meter reading for Hiawatha. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Iowa's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Hiawatha is $989/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Iowa statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Iowa statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Hiawatha sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Hiawatha compares to similar-size Iowa cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.