City · Iowa
Jamaica, Iowa
Jamaica, city, in Guthrie County, Iowa. Jamaica had 197 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 195 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 189 (±64). GEOID 1939225.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
197
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 195 · ACS 2020-2024: 189 ±64
Median household income
$52,250
±$27,180 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$67,000
±$17,600 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$498
±$133 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Jamaica and what county is it in?
Jamaica is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 524 residents per square mile in 2020.
Jamaica is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Jamaica, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 197 people lived in Jamaica on July 1, 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, in line with Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 195 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 189 (±64).
| Measure | Jamaica | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 189 ±64 | 10,688 | no clear change |
| Households | 94 ±38 | 4,600 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.01 ±0.39 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 101 ±39 | 5,808 | no clear change |
Jamaica's population since 2000
From 237 in 2000 to 197 in 2025: down 16.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Jamaica 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 Jamaica?
The median resident of Jamaica is 37.5 years old; 26.5% are under 18 and 16.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.6%.
| Measure | Jamaica | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.5 ±6.1 | 46.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.5% ±10.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.4% ±8.8 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Male | 46.6% ±8.2 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% ±5.2 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.8% ±5.4 pts | 92.4% | +22.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±2.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.4% ±5.0 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4% ±6.7 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±7.3 pts | 12.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.3% ±6.1 pts | 3.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.4% ±6.8 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.7% ±8.3 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.7% ±2.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.4% ±2.4 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±12.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Jamaica earn?
Half of Jamaica's 94 households earn less than $52,250 a year (±$27,180), against $77,711 in Guthrie County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $46,792 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 23.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jamaica | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,250 ±$27,180 | $77,711 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,062 ±$13,714 | $100,744 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,662 ±$6,590 | $43,480 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 23.5% ±11.7 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.3% ±24.1 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.9% ±13.6 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.7% ±6.9 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.2% ±12.2 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Jamaica?
Owners occupy 69.1% of Jamaica's occupied homes and renters 30.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $67,000 by its owner (±$17,600). The median renter pays $498 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Jamaica | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $67,000 ±$17,600 | $180,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $498 ±$133 | $845 | −$235 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.0% ±24.1 pts | 34.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $913 ±$110 | $1,459 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.1% ±15.5 pts | 84.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.9% ±15.5 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Housing units | 101 ±39 | 5,808 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±30.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±48.3 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.2% ±13.5 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.0% ±4.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±21.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±21.7 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 51.5% ±15.0 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.5% ±6.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
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 do people in Jamaica work and get to work?
82.2% of Jamaica's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 38.1 minutes.
| Measure | Jamaica | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.5% ±11.1 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±4.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.2% ±11.7 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.3% ±11.1 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±23.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.2% ±3.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.2% ±4.6 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.1 min ±12.6 | 27.1 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 Jamaica?
No census tract lies mostly in Jamaica; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Guthrie County | 4,040 | $78,705 |
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 Jamaica) · Census block assignment files
How does Jamaica compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jamaica is the 16,554th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 664th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Jamaica 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 | 664th | 939 |
Jamaica's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Jamaica 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 Jamaica?
26 of the 57 figures for Jamaica 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 Jamaica 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 Jamaica.