City · Iowa

Le Mars, Iowa

Le Mars, city, in Plymouth County, Iowa. Le Mars had 10,760 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 10,571 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 10,640 (±28). GEOID 1944400.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

10,760

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 10,571 · ACS 2020-2024: 10,640 ±28

Median household income

$74,701

±$5,737 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059

Median home value

$219,200

±$16,354 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000

Median gross rent

$929

±$39 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972

Where is Le Mars and what county is it in?

Le Mars is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa. It covers 8.8 square miles of land, 1,203 residents per square mile in 2020.

Le Mars is in the Le Mars, IA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Le Mars (marked with a dot) in Plymouth County, Iowa. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Le Mars, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 10,760 people lived in Le Mars on July 1, 2025, up 1.7% since 2020, in line with Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 10,571 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 10,640 (±28).

  • July 2020→2021 +23 (10,626)
  • 2021→2022 −14 (10,612)
  • 2022→2023 −2 (10,610)
  • 2023→2024 −5 (10,605)
  • 2024→2025 +155 (10,760)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Le MarsPlymouth CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Total population 10,640 ±28 25,747 3,210,507 +699
Households 4,342 ±208 10,313 1,315,707 no clear change
Average household size 2.40 ±0.12 2.46 2.36 no clear change
Housing units 4,512 ±226 10,891 1,437,699 no clear change

Le Mars's population since 2000

From 9,237 in 2000 to 10,760 in 2025: up 16.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Le Mars 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.

  • 2000 Census 9,237
  • 2005 (estimate) 9,564
  • 2010 Census 9,826
  • 2015 (estimate) 9,816
  • 2020 Census 10,571
  • 2025 (estimate) 10,760

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 Le Mars?

The median resident of Le Mars is 39.0 years old; 25.2% are under 18 and 18.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.8%. 6.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Le MarsPlymouth CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median age 39.0 ±3.3 41.3 38.6 no clear change
Under 18 years 25.2% ±2.4 pts 25.0% 22.9% –
65 years and over 18.0% ±2.2 pts 19.8% 18.1% –
Male 48.9% ±1.9 pts 50.9% 50.2% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10.8% ±1.4 pts 6.4% 7.3% +4.4 pts
White alone, not Hispanic 81.3% ±1.9 pts 88.0% 82.3% −10.0 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 5.5% ±0.8 pts 2.4% 3.8% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.2 pts 0.5% 2.5% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.1 pts 0.2% 0.2% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.7% ±0.8 pts 0.4% 0.2% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 1.5% ±0.9 pts 2.0% 3.5% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.2 pts 0.0% 0.3% –
Born outside the United States 6.5% ±2.2 pts 3.7% 5.9% +3.5 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 12.0% ±2.8 pts 6.9% 9.1% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 5.5% ±1.8 pts 6.9% 6.5% –
With a disability 12.7% ±2.7 pts 11.5% 12.6% –
No health insurance coverage 6.3% ±3.1 pts 5.3% 5.0% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 94.1% ±2.0 pts 94.8% 93.3% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 21.1% ±3.9 pts 21.7% 31.4% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 4.5% ±1.7 pts 5.0% 10.5% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 90.4% ±3.1 pts 90.7% 87.1% –
Moved from another state in the past year 1.7% ±1.0 pts 1.8% 2.2% –

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 Le Mars earn?

Half of Le Mars's 4,342 households earn less than $74,701 a year (±$5,737), against $83,251 in Plymouth County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $80,112 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Le MarsPlymouth CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $74,701 ±$5,737 $83,251 $75,059 no clear change
Mean household income $90,260 ±$8,117 $101,116 $98,187 –
Per capita income $37,904 ±$3,255 $41,532 $40,877 no clear change
People below the poverty line 9.2% ±2.9 pts 6.9% 11.1% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 11.4% ±5.2 pts 8.8% 12.9% no clear change
Households receiving SNAP 9.8% ±3.4 pts 6.6% 8.8% –
Households with a computer 95.6% ±2.3 pts 94.4% 94.7% –
Households with a broadband subscription 90.8% ±3.8 pts 89.8% 88.9% –

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 Le Mars?

Owners occupy 61.5% of Le Mars's occupied homes and renters 38.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,200 by its owner (±$16,354). The median renter pays $929 a month including utilities, and 22.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Le MarsPlymouth CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $219,200 ±$16,354 $228,900 $208,000 +$23,643
Median gross rent $929 ±$39 $910 $972 +$130
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 22.3% ±7.4 pts 20.6% 35.2% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,336 ±$148 $1,426 $1,533 –
Owner-occupied homes 61.5% ±5.3 pts 73.6% 71.7% −11.5 pts
Renter-occupied homes 38.5% ±5.3 pts 26.4% 28.3% –
Housing units 4,512 ±226 10,891 1,437,699 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.0% ±0.9 pts 0.7% 0.8% –
Rental vacancy rate 3.5% ±4.5 pts 3.3% 5.7% –
Single-family detached homes 63.4% ±4.5 pts 78.9% 72.2% –
Mobile homes 6.4% ±3.0 pts 3.8% 3.2% –
Built 2020 or later 2.5% ±1.9 pts 1.2% 1.7% –
Built 2010 to 2019 7.8% ±3.0 pts 6.6% 9.2% –
Built 1939 or earlier 17.4% ±3.4 pts 24.5% 23.5% –
Households with no vehicle 5.8% ±2.7 pts 3.8% 5.4% –

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 Le Mars building?

Builders took permits for 13 new housing units in Le Mars in 2025 (13 in single-family houses), 1.2 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.

  • 2019 90 units
  • 2020 21 units
  • 2021 22 units
  • 2022 14 units
  • 2023 19 units
  • 2024 126 units
  • 2025 13 units

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 Le Mars work and get to work?

82.0% of Le Mars's workers drive alone and 3.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 16.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.8%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Le MarsPlymouth CountyIowa Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 70.9% ±3.3 pts 68.9% 66.4% –
Unemployment rate 2.8% ±1.8 pts 2.2% 3.6% –
Drove alone to work 82.0% ±4.5 pts 79.1% 76.0% –
Carpooled 12.2% ±4.0 pts 9.2% 7.8% –
Public transportation 0.6% ±1.0 pts 0.6% 0.7% –
Walked 0.8% ±0.8 pts 1.1% 2.9% –
Worked from home 3.2% ±1.6 pts 9.2% 11.3% no clear change
Mean travel time to work 16.3 min ±2.3 19.2 min 19.8 min +2.9 min

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 Le Mars?

2 census tracts lie mostly in Le Mars, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $71,983 (Tract 9701) to $76,656 (Tract 9702).

Census tracts in Le Mars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Le Mars
Tract 9701Plymouth County6,958 $71,983 $258,00091%
Tract 9702Plymouth County4,054 $76,656 $162,70091%
Tract 9705Plymouth County3,140 $85,769 $250,5000%

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 Le Mars) · Census block assignment files

How does Le Mars compare with other places in Iowa?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Le Mars is the 3,047th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 39th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.

Le Mars ranks 113th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Le Mars's rank in Iowa (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate39th939
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)77th275
Residents per square mile101st279
Median household income113th279
Per capita income124th279
Median home value72nd279
Median gross rent86th266
Poverty rate138th232
Bachelor's degree or higher184th279
Median age157th279
Owner-occupied share257th279
Work from home219th221
Travel time to work221st279

Le Mars's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)

Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Le Mars 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 Le Mars?

9 of the 57 figures for Le Mars 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 Le Mars 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 Le Mars.