City · Iowa
Primghar, Iowa
Primghar, city, in O'Brien County, Iowa. Primghar had 894 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 896 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,014 (±231). GEOID 1964650.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
894
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 896 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,014 ±231
Median household income
$78,750
±$16,970 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$147,500
±$14,551 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$792
±$263 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Primghar and what county is it in?
Primghar is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 659 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 Primghar, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 894 people lived in Primghar on July 1, 2025, down 1.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 896 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,014 (±231).
| Measure | Primghar | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,014 ±231 | 14,126 | no clear change |
| Households | 373 ±78 | 5,809 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.60 ±0.42 | 2.36 | +0.48 |
| Housing units | 400 ±80 | 6,564 | no clear change |
Primghar's population since 2000
From 891 in 2000 to 894 in 2025: up 0.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Primghar 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 Primghar?
The median resident of Primghar is 33.4 years old; 30.4% are under 18 and 16.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 4.5%.
| Measure | Primghar | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.4 ±6.7 | 39.5 | −9.2 |
| Under 18 years | 30.4% ±7.5 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.4% ±5.2 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Male | 56.7% ±4.7 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 7.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.0% ±4.3 pts | 87.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±4.0 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.1% ±3.2 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 11.0% ±5.0 pts | 14.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±2.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.1% ±3.4 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.9% ±6.9 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.5% ±4.1 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.5% ±6.8 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.1% ±2.6 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 Primghar earn?
Half of Primghar's 373 households earn less than $78,750 a year (±$16,970), against $68,356 in O'Brien County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $66,150 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Primghar | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,750 ±$16,970 | $68,356 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $88,458 ±$10,891 | $84,439 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,127 ±$5,596 | $35,198 | −$7,962 |
| People below the poverty line | 6.3% ±4.2 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.3% ±12.8 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.7% ±7.8 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.7% ±1.3 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.1% ±3.5 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 Primghar?
Owners occupy 82.0% of Primghar's occupied homes and renters 18.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,500 by its owner (±$14,551). The median renter pays $792 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Primghar | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $147,500 ±$14,551 | $173,100 | +$54,460 |
| Median gross rent | $792 ±$263 | $868 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.0% ±27.8 pts | 26.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,189 ±$127 | $1,357 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.0% ±7.7 pts | 76.1% | +11.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.0% ±7.7 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Housing units | 400 ±80 | 6,564 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.8% ±3.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.2% ±14.2 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.5% ±4.9 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.3% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.5% ±4.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.8% ±7.5 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.0% ±3.2 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 Primghar building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Primghar in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.1 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 Primghar work and get to work?
78.5% of Primghar's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.0 minutes.
| Measure | Primghar | O'Brien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.0% ±6.4 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.5% ±7.5 pts | 79.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.5% ±6.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 4.0% ±2.7 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.6% ±3.9 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.0 min ±6.1 | 19.0 min | +10.3 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 Primghar?
No census tract lies mostly in Primghar; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4902O'Brien County | 4,049 | $71,534 |
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 Primghar) · Census block assignment files
How does Primghar compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Primghar is the 10,765th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 308th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Primghar 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 | 308th | 939 |
Primghar's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Primghar 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 Primghar?
25 of the 57 figures for Primghar 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 Primghar 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 Primghar.