City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Lester, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lester - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

308
Residents
$91,875
Median income
$185,200
Median home
$919
Median rent (state)

Lester - the verdict

Nationally, Lester sits in the 72nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

72nd
percentile, household income
38th
percentile, home value
6th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Lester, IA

Iowa's Lester is a small town, with 308 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Lester households earn a median of $91,875 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.4%. Home values in Lester run a median of $185,200, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. Educational attainment runs 20.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 71.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 1 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Iowa at 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $919 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 19.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

308 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$91,875 /yr

Poverty 2.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Lester compare to other US cities?

Here's how Lester stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 72% higher than other cities
Home value 38% pricier than other cities
Median rent 6% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lester's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Iowa, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

72ndIncome percentile

72nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Lester's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$185,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 62% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lester $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lester, IA Lester, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lester, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lester, IA median $91,875/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lester, IA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lester, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 71.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
308
Median Income
$91,875
Median Home Value
$185,200
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Labor force participation
71.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.2%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
295 residents300 residents305 residents310 residents315 residents 202020212022202320242025 297 residents 306 residents ▲ +3.0%
Lester's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 1
2021 1
2022 1
2023 0
2024 1

Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
70.5%
Carpool
18.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.3%
Work from Home
3.4%
Other
1.6%

Based on 176 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Iowa - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$75
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Iowa state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Iowa state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lester sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$919/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
19.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Floyd
308 people
Cantril
307 people
Deloit
309 people
Goose Lake
309 people
Halbur
307 people
Lacona
307 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lester's 308 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bieber, CA
308 people
Rockford Bay, ID
308 people
Manlius, IL
308 people
Mongo, IN
308 people
St. Charles, KY
308 people
Clinton, MN
308 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lester's $91,875 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Naknek, AK
$91,875 median income
Tallulah Falls, GA
$91,875 median income
Kangley, IL
$91,875 median income
Levasy, MO
$91,875 median income
Napoleon, MO
$91,875 median income
Cuylerville, NY
$91,875 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lester, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lester, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 87.0% 7.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10.7% White 87.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 1.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 4.5% Two or more races 7.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lester compares to nearby Iowa cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lester (this city) 308 $91,875
Floyd 308 $61,000
Cantril 307 $37,500
Deloit 309 $37,917
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lester, IA?

What is the population of Lester, IA? +

Lester, IA counts 308 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lester, IA? +

Lester households earn a median of $91,875 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lester? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lester; the closest available measure is the Iowa state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Iowa vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Lester, IA? +

The median home value in Lester is $185,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.