City · Iowa
Orient, Iowa
Orient, city, in Adair County, Iowa. Orient had 352 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 368 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 448 (±101). GEOID 1959565.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
352
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 368 · ACS 2020-2024: 448 ±101
Median household income
$73,750
±$24,734 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$113,100
±$18,227 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$950
±$691 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Orient and what county is it in?
Orient is a city in Adair County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 846 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 Orient, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 352 people lived in Orient on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 368 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 448 (±101).
| Measure | Orient | Adair County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 448 ±101 | 7,460 | no clear change |
| Households | 175 ±36 | 3,236 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.56 ±0.41 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 183 ±37 | 3,568 | no clear change |
Orient's population since 2000
From 402 in 2000 to 352 in 2025: down 12.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Orient 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 Orient?
The median resident of Orient is 38.9 years old; 23.7% are under 18 and 25.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.2%, then non-Hispanic residents of some other race at 5.8%.
| Measure | Orient | Adair County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.9 ±9.0 | 42.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.7% ±6.6 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.2% ±10.0 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±5.2 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.8% ±2.5 pts | 3.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.2% ±8.7 pts | 93.1% | −9.4 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±4.1 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 5.8% ±6.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.6% ±3.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 19.4% ±6.8 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0% ±2.4 pts | 5.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.7% ±6.2 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.1% ±4.8 pts | 19.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.9% ±3.4 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.1% ±3.6 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
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 Orient earn?
Half of Orient's 175 households earn less than $73,750 a year (±$24,734), against $68,092 in Adair County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $56,406 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Orient | Adair County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,750 ±$24,734 | $68,092 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $81,084 ±$12,288 | $93,814 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,603 ±$6,742 | $41,750 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% ±9.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.8% ±23.0 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.6% ±3.8 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.3% ±3.2 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.0% ±7.8 pts | 84.3% | – |
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 Orient?
Owners occupy 81.1% of Orient's occupied homes and renters 18.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $113,100 by its owner (±$18,227).
| Measure | Orient | Adair County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $113,100 ±$18,227 | $160,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $950 ±$691 | $799 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 19.2% ±29.4 pts | 29.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,125 ±$66 | $1,372 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.1% ±8.7 pts | 73.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.9% ±8.7 pts | 26.1% | – |
| Housing units | 183 ±37 | 3,568 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±16.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±45.3 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 94.0% ±4.7 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 43.7% ±11.1 pts | 37.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
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 Orient building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Orient 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 Orient work and get to work?
71.4% of Orient's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.1%.
| Measure | Orient | Adair County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.6% ±9.5 pts | 65.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.1% ±7.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 71.4% ±11.3 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.9% ±8.7 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 9.5% ±8.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.7% ±5.0 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.4 min ±4.6 | 20.4 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 Orient?
No census tract lies mostly in Orient; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Adair County | 1,699 | $81,875 |
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 Orient) · Census block assignment files
How does Orient compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Orient is the 14,595th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 525th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Orient 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 | 525th | 939 |
Orient's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Orient 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 Orient?
27 of the 57 figures for Orient 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 Orient 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 Orient.