City · Iowa
Mystic, Iowa
Mystic, city, in Appanoose County, Iowa. Mystic had 316 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 322 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 216 (±64). GEOID 1955200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
316
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 322 · ACS 2020-2024: 216 ±64
Median household income
$41,000
±$6,849 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$57,500
±$16,206 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$469
±$184 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Mystic and what county is it in?
Mystic is a city in Appanoose County, Iowa. It covers 2.9 square miles of land, 109 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 Mystic, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 316 people lived in Mystic on July 1, 2025, down 2.2% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 322 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 216 (±64).
| Measure | Mystic | Appanoose County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 216 ±64 | 12,184 | −148 |
| Households | 118 ±29 | 5,199 | −48 |
| Average household size | 1.83 ±0.37 | 2.30 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 153 ±38 | 6,312 | no clear change |
Mystic's population since 2000
From 588 in 2000 to 316 in 2025: down 46.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Mystic 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 Mystic?
The median resident of Mystic is 50.6 years old; 16.2% are under 18 and 17.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 96.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.7%.
| Measure | Mystic | Appanoose County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.6 ±16.1 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.2% ±9.0 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.1% ±7.1 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Male | 51.4% ±7.7 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 96.3% ±3.2 pts | 93.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±3.2 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.8% ±9.9 pts | 9.9% | – |
| With a disability | 23.1% ±7.6 pts | 18.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.2% ±3.4 pts | 9.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.1% ±6.1 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.0% ±11.5 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±10.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
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 Mystic earn?
Half of Mystic's 118 households earn less than $41,000 a year (±$6,849), against $54,934 in Appanoose County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $38,715 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Mystic | Appanoose County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,000 ±$6,849 | $54,934 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $44,282 ±$9,514 | $71,730 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,981 ±$5,199 | $31,168 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 17.1% ±10.4 pts | 17.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.4% ±16.8 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 24.6% ±14.1 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.1% ±5.4 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.6% ±10.7 pts | 83.9% | – |
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 Mystic?
Owners occupy 78.8% of Mystic's occupied homes and renters 21.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $57,500 by its owner (±$16,206). The median renter pays $469 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Mystic | Appanoose County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $57,500 ±$16,206 | $124,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $469 ±$184 | $784 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.8% ±34.1 pts | 39.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $930 ±$524 | $1,282 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.8% ±13.3 pts | 68.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.2% ±13.3 pts | 31.2% | – |
| Housing units | 153 ±38 | 6,312 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.1% ±6.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±52.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.3% ±6.5 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.2% ±6.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.2% ±5.7 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 58.8% ±10.7 pts | 35.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.5% ±6.1 pts | 6.9% | – |
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 Mystic building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Mystic in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 3.2 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 Mystic work and get to work?
80.0% of Mystic's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 16.8 minutes.
| Measure | Mystic | Appanoose County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.0% ±8.6 pts | 56.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% ±10.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.0% ±11.8 pts | 77.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.3% ±10.7 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±21.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 3.8% ±5.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.9% ±3.2 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.8 min ±3.8 | 20.6 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 Mystic?
No census tract lies mostly in Mystic; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Appanoose County | 1,460 | $67,273 |
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 Mystic) · Census block assignment files
How does Mystic compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Mystic is the 14,965th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 547th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Mystic 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 | 547th | 939 |
Mystic's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Mystic 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 Mystic?
27 of the 57 figures for Mystic 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 Mystic 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 Mystic.