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Place dossier plate
SheetIA-PELLA-IA · Pella, IA 10,624 pop · income 63rd pct · 10 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Pella
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Pella on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Fort Madison · lowest
49,359
Fort Madison · lowest
49,359 median HH income
56.8% of the leader · rank #1
Flagler Beach · near
81,193
Flagler Beach · near
81,193 median HH income
93.4% of the leader · rank #2
Williamsburg · near
81,200
Williamsburg · near
81,200 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #3
Obetz · near
81,200
Obetz · near
81,200 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #4
Azle · near
81,200
Azle · near
81,200 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #5
Pella · this city
81,201
Pella · this city
81,201 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #6
Pleasant Hill · highest
86,890
Pleasant Hill · highest
86,890 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Pella on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 10,624.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Pella - the verdict
Nationally, Pella sits in the 63rd percentile for household income and the 61st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
63rd
percentile, household income
58th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
61st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Pella, IA
10,624 people live in Pella, Iowa - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Pella households earn a median of $81,201 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.3%. Pella's housing stock carries a median value of $259,600, and the median resident age is 35.1 years. Educational attainment runs 47.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 64.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 53 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 7% from five years earlier. Pella reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1060.3 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $989 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $212 across Iowa, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 12.6 minutes, with 78.9% driving alone and 6.3% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Pella's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to within-city variation to comparison shortlist to schools and households to population change to work and mobility to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Pella, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Pella?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
PlainCities matches 10 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Pella?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Iowa, the closest population matches are Le Mars (10,597 residents, $72,381 income); Pleasant Hill (10,796 residents, $86,890 income); Waverly (10,446 residents, $78,429 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Winterville, NC (10,624 residents); Chalco, NE (10,625 residents); Santa Clara, OR (10,623 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 47.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Pella growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +518 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 53 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
10,474
2025 estimate
10,992
Period change
+4.9%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.9%. The reported mean trip to work is 12.6 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
78.9%
Work from home
6.3%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 5,400 workers age 16+.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Pella?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1060.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 54% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1060.3
Violent rate
109.7
Property rate
950.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 1.3% (Very low poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
B+
City profile score · Pella, IA
78/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate A+
1.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share A-
47.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime B-
110 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income C+
$81,201
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Pella profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Poverty rate: 91/100 (A+) · 1.3%
Bachelor's+ share: 82/100 (A-) · 47.8%
Violent crime: 68/100 (B-) · 110 /100k
Household income: 61/100 (C+) · $81,201
Where Pella sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Pella's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Pella highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Pella, IA (this city): home $259,600, crime 1,060/100k
Winterville, NC : home $226,600, crime 805/100k
Crestwood, IL : home $187,700, crime 2,291/100k
Le Mars, IA : home $202,200, crime 1,017/100k
Waverly, IA : home $215,200, crime 1,027/100k
Carroll, IA : home $184,100, crime 1,018/100k
Fort Madison, IA : home $95,900, crime 1,987/100k
Storm Lake, IA : home $163,600, crime 1,966/100k
How does Pella compare to other US cities?
Pella measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income63% higher than other cities
Home value58% pricier than other cities
Median rent11% pricier than other cities
Safety61% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Iowa, Pella ranks #83 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Pella against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Pella near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Pella ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Pella only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#180 of 845
79th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#60 of 849
93rd percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#731 of 858
14th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#38 of 858
96th percentile in Iowa
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
63rd percentile nationally for median household income · 61st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Pella's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Pella's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Pella's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$259,60042nd percentilemore affordable than 42% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Pella's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,686 of 15,516
More affordable than 50% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,168 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.2×, Pella sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,686 of 15,516 and #1,168 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$81,201Pella, IA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Pella, IA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Pella, IA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)47.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)1.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
10,624
Median Income
$81,201
Median Home Value
$259,600
Median Age
35.1
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Labor force participation
64.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
47.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1060.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
109.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
950.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Pella's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
10,474 residents
2021
10,648 residents
2022
10,746 residents
2023
10,740 residents
2024
10,878 residents
2025
10,992 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
53
housing units authorized
Single-Family
47
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
57
57
0
$12.8M
2020
149
32
117
$21.5M
2021
67
36
31
$12.7M
2022
32
30
2
$14.2M
2023
53
53
0
$20.4M
2024
53
47
6
$21.1M
Permit volume decreased 7% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
12.6 minutes
Drive Alone
78.9%
Carpool
4.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
8.9%
Work from Home
6.3%
Other
1.2%
Based on 5,400 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Iowa statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Iowa at $212 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Iowa statewide averages, not a meter reading for Pella. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Iowa's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Pella is $989/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Iowa statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Iowa statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Pella sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Pella compares to similar-size Iowa cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.