City · Iowa
Johnston, Iowa
Johnston, city, in Polk County, Iowa. Johnston had 25,065 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 24,064 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 24,384 (±37). GEOID 1939765.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
25,065
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 24,064 · ACS 2020-2024: 24,384 ±37
Median household income
$106,551
±$10,761 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$369,100
±$16,483 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$1,338
±$72 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Johnston and what county is it in?
Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa. It covers 19.5 square miles of land, 1,235 residents per square mile in 2020.
Johnston 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 Johnston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 25,065 people lived in Johnston on July 1, 2025, up 4.7% since 2020, faster than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 24,064 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 24,384 (±37).
| Measure | Johnston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 24,384 ±37 | 503,175 | +2,978 |
| Households | 9,259 ±599 | 205,358 | +728 |
| Average household size | 2.61 ±0.17 | 2.41 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 9,720 ±591 | 218,486 | +750 |
Johnston's population since 2000
From 8,649 in 2000 to 25,065 in 2025: up 189.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Johnston 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 Johnston?
The median resident of Johnston is 37.4 years old; 30.5% are under 18 and 15.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 75.9%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 10.6%. 9.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Johnston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 ±2.1 | 36.2 | −2.7 |
| Under 18 years | 30.5% ±3.4 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.3% ±2.7 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Male | 48.4% ±2.0 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% ±1.0 pts | 10.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 75.9% ±5.1 pts | 73.2% | −12.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.6% ±5.1 pts | 7.3% | +7.7 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.3% ±2.5 pts | 4.9% | +2.9 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±1.4 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 9.5% ±2.2 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.4% ±2.7 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.0% ±1.6 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 7.2% ±1.3 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.7% ±0.9 pts | 5.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.9% ±1.3 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.8% ±3.7 pts | 40.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 22.0% ±2.9 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.9% ±2.4 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.7% ±1.1 pts | 2.0% | – |
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 Johnston earn?
Half of Johnston's 9,259 households earn less than $106,551 a year (±$10,761), against $83,576 in Polk County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $119,313 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Johnston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,551 ±$10,761 | $83,576 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $150,204 ±$11,203 | $109,398 | – |
| Per capita income | $57,529 ±$5,116 | $45,622 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.2% ±5.4 pts | 10.3% | +6.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.0% ±12.0 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.8% ±2.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0% ±1.8 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.2% ±2.1 pts | 91.9% | – |
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 Johnston?
Owners occupy 70.8% of Johnston's occupied homes and renters 29.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $369,100 by its owner (±$16,483). The median renter pays $1,338 a month including utilities, and 40.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Johnston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $369,100 ±$16,483 | $262,100 | +$38,905 |
| Median gross rent | $1,338 ±$72 | $1,149 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.8% ±8.5 pts | 35.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,361 ±$134 | $1,741 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.8% ±3.4 pts | 67.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.2% ±3.4 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Housing units | 9,720 ±591 | 218,486 | +750 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.0% ±5.7 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 56.4% ±3.2 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.3% ±1.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 26.8% ±3.8 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.5% ±0.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
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 Johnston building?
Builders took permits for 122 new housing units in Johnston in 2025 (122 in single-family houses), 4.9 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 Johnston work and get to work?
78.9% of Johnston's workers drive alone and 14.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.1%.
| Measure | Johnston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.2% ±3.4 pts | 71.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% ±1.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.9% ±3.2 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.4% ±1.9 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.0% ±2.7 pts | 15.7% | +8.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.7 min ±1.2 | 20.0 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 Johnston?
6 census tracts lie mostly in Johnston, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $61,659 (Tract 113.05) to $198,056 (Tract 114.05).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 117.03Polk County | 5,911 | $155,000 |
| Tract 114.06Polk County | 6,494 | $93,417 |
| Tract 113.05Polk County | 3,326 | $61,659 |
| Tract 117.02Polk County | 4,290 | $85,422 |
| Tract 114.05Polk County | 3,281 | $198,056 |
| Tract 117.04Polk County | 2,960 | $154,928 |
| Tract 113.02Polk County | 3,702 | $120,274 |
| Tract 102.13Polk County | 4,152 | $149,706 |
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 Johnston) · Census block assignment files
How does Johnston compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Johnston is the 1,616th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 20th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Johnston ranks 30th 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 | 20th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 47th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 94th | 279 |
| Median household income | 30th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 6th | 279 |
| Median home value | 7th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 10th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 120th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9th | 279 |
| Median age | 197th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 174th | 279 |
| Work from home | 42nd | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 148th | 279 |
Johnston's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Johnston 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 Johnston?
9 of the 57 figures for Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Johnston.