City · Iowa
Paullina, Iowa
Paullina, city, in O'Brien County, Iowa. Paullina had 970 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 982 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 869 (±144). GEOID 1961905.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
970
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 982 · ACS 2020-2024: 869 ±144
Median household income
$61,250
±$25,232 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$132,600
±$20,310 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$864
±$240 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Paullina and what county is it in?
Paullina is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 1,051 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 Paullina, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 970 people lived in Paullina on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 982 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 869 (±144).
| Measure | Paullina | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 869 ±144 | 14,126 | no clear change |
| Households | 415 ±61 | 5,809 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.09 ±0.24 | 2.36 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 480 ±64 | 6,564 | no clear change |
Paullina's population since 2000
From 1,124 in 2000 to 970 in 2025: down 13.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Paullina 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 Paullina?
The median resident of Paullina is 51.6 years old; 17.0% are under 18 and 25.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 98.0%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 0.8%.
| Measure | Paullina | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.6 ±7.9 | 39.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.0% ±7.8 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.0% ±5.9 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Male | 53.9% ±4.6 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 7.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 98.0% ±1.8 pts | 87.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.0% ±2.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.4% ±2.1 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.3% ±4.4 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 18.6% ±9.5 pts | 14.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 3.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.8% ±5.4 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.6% ±6.2 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.7% ±2.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.5% ±6.8 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Paullina earn?
Half of Paullina's 415 households earn less than $61,250 a year (±$25,232), against $68,356 in O'Brien County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $78,918 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Paullina | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,250 ±$25,232 | $68,356 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $88,418 ±$15,383 | $84,439 | – |
| Per capita income | $42,355 ±$7,923 | $35,198 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.7% ±3.9 pts | 13.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.1% ±3.2 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.0% ±7.9 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.0% ±9.0 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.1% ±9.2 pts | 90.1% | – |
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 Paullina?
Owners occupy 75.2% of Paullina's occupied homes and renters 24.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $132,600 by its owner (±$20,310). The median renter pays $864 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Paullina | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $132,600 ±$20,310 | $173,100 | +$22,699 |
| Median gross rent | $864 ±$240 | $868 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.4% ±20.8 pts | 26.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,006 ±$190 | $1,357 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 75.2% ±8.4 pts | 76.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.8% ±8.4 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Housing units | 480 ±64 | 6,564 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±21.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.7% ±9.0 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 40.0% ±6.8 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.7% ±8.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
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 Paullina building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Paullina 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 Paullina work and get to work?
87.2% of Paullina's workers drive alone and 10.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.5 minutes.
| Measure | Paullina | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.7% ±11.2 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±5.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.2% ±6.2 pts | 79.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.1% ±3.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.0% ±5.8 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.5 min ±2.4 | 19.0 min | −7.5 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 Paullina?
No census tract lies mostly in Paullina; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4904O'Brien County | 2,289 | $68,375 |
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 Paullina) · Census block assignment files
How does Paullina compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Paullina is the 10,398th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 282nd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Paullina 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 | 282nd | 939 |
Paullina's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Paullina 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 Paullina?
25 of the 57 figures for Paullina 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 Paullina 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 Paullina.