Population
209 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Iowa
City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023
Rowan, IA
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Rowan - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 209
- Residents
- $57,500
- Median income
- $919
- Median rent (state)
Rowan - the verdict
Rowan ranks in the 31st percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 31st
- percentile, household income
- 6th
- percentile, median rent
📝 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: Rowan, IA
209 people live in Rowan, Iowa - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Rowan brings in $57,500 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 19.7%. The median resident age is 28.7 years. 8.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Iowa scores 87.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $919 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 41.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
Median Household Income
$57,500 /yr
Poverty 19.7%
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
How does Rowan compare to other US cities?
Here's how Rowan stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 31% higher than other cities
Median rent 6% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Rowan 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 Rowan near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Rowan ranks #450 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Rowan only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#590 of 845
30th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#450 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#46 of 858
95th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#744 of 858
13th percentile in Iowa
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.
31st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 8.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 19.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
209
Median Income
$57,500
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
28.7
Poverty Rate
19.7%
Labor force participation
60.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
8.4%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
94.0%
Carpool
6.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 84 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Iowa - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$75
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Iowa state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Iowa state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Rowan sits in
Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$919/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
41.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Iowa
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rowan's 209 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rowan's $57,500 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Rowan compares to nearby Iowa cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan (this city) | 209 | $57,500 |
| Harpers Ferry | 210 | $37,813 |
| Paton | 210 | $62,292 |
| Defiance | 207 | $51,458 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Rowan, IA?
What is the population of Rowan, IA? +
209 people live in Rowan, IA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Rowan, IA? +
In Rowan, the typical household earns $57,500 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Rowan? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Rowan; the closest available measure is the Iowa state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Iowa vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.