City · Iowa
Milton, Iowa
Milton, city, in Van Buren County, Iowa. Milton had 387 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 380 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 493 (±135). GEOID 1952500.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
387
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 380 · ACS 2020-2024: 493 ±135
Median household income
$51,500
±$16,880 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$61,400
±$21,539 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$617
±$212 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Milton and what county is it in?
Milton is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa. It covers 2.7 square miles of land, 141 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 Milton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 387 people lived in Milton on July 1, 2025, down 1.0% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 380 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 493 (±135).
| Measure | Milton | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 493 ±135 | 7,241 | no clear change |
| Households | 172 ±36 | 2,896 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.87 ±0.56 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 198 ±39 | 3,490 | no clear change |
Milton's population since 2000
From 550 in 2000 to 387 in 2025: down 29.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Milton 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 Milton?
The median resident of Milton is 37.3 years old; 22.9% are under 18 and 21.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.2%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.8%.
| Measure | Milton | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.3 ±9.4 | 44.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.9% ±12.1 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.1% ±7.9 pts | 23.6% | – |
| Male | 57.4% ±6.8 pts | 51.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.2% ±2.4 pts | 94.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±1.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 28.9% ±13.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.9% ±4.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
| With a disability | 13.8% ±7.2 pts | 17.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 23.1% ±12.6 pts | 17.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 64.3% ±11.8 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 7.2% ±4.8 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.7% ±2.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.5% ±3.0 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 Milton earn?
Half of Milton's 172 households earn less than $51,500 a year (±$16,880), against $61,161 in Van Buren County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $51,022 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Milton | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,500 ±$16,880 | $61,161 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $74,324 ±$16,997 | $82,878 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,616 ±$6,685 | $33,900 | +$8,196 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.7% ±13.2 pts | 15.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 44.2% ±31.6 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.2% ±9.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 72.7% ±10.8 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 58.7% ±9.9 pts | 72.8% | – |
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 Milton?
Owners occupy 86.6% of Milton's occupied homes and renters 13.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $61,400 by its owner (±$21,539). The median renter pays $617 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Milton | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $61,400 ±$21,539 | $114,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $617 ±$212 | $622 | −$291 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.0% ±41.4 pts | 37.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,158 ±$121 | $1,367 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.6% ±9.0 pts | 81.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.4% ±9.0 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Housing units | 198 ±39 | 3,490 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±15.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±54.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 72.2% ±12.7 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 21.2% ±11.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±2.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.0% ±3.1 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 32.8% ±9.9 pts | 33.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.0% ±8.9 pts | 10.2% | – |
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 Milton work and get to work?
48.8% of Milton's workers drive alone and 25.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.6 minutes.
| Measure | Milton | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.5% ±9.8 pts | 58.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 48.8% ±17.8 pts | 67.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.5% ±4.3 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 20.9% ±12.7 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 25.4% ±12.9 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.6 min ±5.2 | 22.5 min | −11.0 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 Milton?
No census tract lies mostly in Milton; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Van Buren County | 3,284 | $63,032 |
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 Milton) · Census block assignment files
How does Milton compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Milton is the 14,243rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 491st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Milton 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 | 491st | 939 |
Milton's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Milton 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 Milton?
22 of the 57 figures for Milton 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 Milton 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 Milton.