City · Iowa
Leon, Iowa
Leon, city, in Decatur County, Iowa. Leon had 1,773 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,822 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,899 (±247). GEOID 1944535.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,773
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,822 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,899 ±247
Median household income
$54,231
±$9,510 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$99,800
±$14,250 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$577
±$34 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Leon and what county is it in?
Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa. It covers 3.1 square miles of land, 582 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 Leon, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,773 people lived in Leon on July 1, 2025, down 2.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,822 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,899 (±247).
| Measure | Leon | Decatur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,899 ±247 | 7,759 | no clear change |
| Households | 818 ±116 | 3,055 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.24 ±0.18 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,006 ±108 | 3,659 | no clear change |
Leon's population since 2000
From 1,983 in 2000 to 1,773 in 2025: down 10.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Leon 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 Leon?
The median resident of Leon is 38.6 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 25.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.2%.
| Measure | Leon | Decatur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 ±6.0 | 36.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±3.7 pts | 22.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.5% ±4.1 pts | 21.1% | – |
| Male | 45.9% ±3.2 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.2% ±2.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.5% ±3.4 pts | 90.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.2% ±1.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.6% ±2.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| With a disability | 17.7% ±4.5 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±1.5 pts | 7.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.8% ±4.0 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.9% ±4.3 pts | 23.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7% ±3.7 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.4% ±6.8 pts | 83.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
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 Leon earn?
Half of Leon's 818 households earn less than $54,231 a year (±$9,510), against $59,044 in Decatur County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $52,525 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Leon | Decatur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,231 ±$9,510 | $59,044 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $62,441 ±$6,990 | $74,390 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,777 ±$3,021 | $30,020 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.7% ±3.6 pts | 14.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.0% ±7.2 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.8% ±4.1 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.0% ±5.0 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.5% ±6.2 pts | 83.8% | – |
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 Leon?
Owners occupy 51.5% of Leon's occupied homes and renters 48.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $99,800 by its owner (±$14,250). The median renter pays $577 a month including utilities, and 20.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Leon | Decatur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $99,800 ±$14,250 | $113,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $577 ±$34 | $611 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 20.4% ±11.3 pts | 24.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,158 ±$214 | $1,279 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 51.5% ±9.0 pts | 69.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 48.5% ±9.0 pts | 30.3% | – |
| Housing units | 1,006 ±108 | 3,659 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.1% ±5.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.2% ±5.0 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.1% ±6.4 pts | 76.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.7% ±1.3 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.7% ±6.8 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.5% ±4.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
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 Leon building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Leon in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Leon work and get to work?
81.0% of Leon's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.7 minutes.
| Measure | Leon | Decatur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.1% ±6.8 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.0% ±7.6 pts | 75.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.3% ±4.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 7.5% ±5.2 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.2% ±1.9 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.7 min ±5.6 | 22.5 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 Leon?
1 census tract lies mostly in Leon (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Decatur County | 1,999 | $54,952 |
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 Leon) · Census block assignment files
How does Leon compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Leon is the 8,119th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 181st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Leon ranks 255th 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 | 181st | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 203rd | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 251st | 279 |
| Median household income | 255th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 274th | 279 |
| Median home value | 265th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 261st | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 113th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 262nd | 279 |
| Median age | 164th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 275th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 22nd | 279 |
Leon's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Leon 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 Leon?
18 of the 57 figures for Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon.