City · Iowa
Rowley, Iowa
Rowley, city, in Buchanan County, Iowa. Rowley had 267 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 270 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 353 (±116). GEOID 1969060.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
267
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 270 · ACS 2020-2024: 353 ±116
Median household income
$60,313
±$7,758 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$145,800
±$25,671 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$1,042
±$669 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Rowley and what county is it in?
Rowley is a city in Buchanan County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 696 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 Rowley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 267 people lived in Rowley on July 1, 2025, down 0.7% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 270 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 353 (±116).
| Measure | Rowley | Buchanan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 353 ±116 | 20,694 | no clear change |
| Households | 133 ±34 | 8,252 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.65 ±0.61 | 2.49 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 135 ±34 | 8,945 | no clear change |
Rowley's population since 2000
From 290 in 2000 to 267 in 2025: down 7.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Rowley 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 Rowley?
The median resident of Rowley is 42.6 years old; 15.0% are under 18 and 20.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 99.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 0.6%.
| Measure | Rowley | Buchanan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 ±13.3 | 40.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.0% ±6.6 pts | 25.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.1% ±9.0 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Male | 49.6% ±5.7 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 99.4% ±1.1 pts | 95.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.0% ±4.8 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 13.9% ±7.0 pts | 12.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.6% ±4.1 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.5% ±9.7 pts | 22.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±1.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.6% ±6.8 pts | 89.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±2.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
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 Rowley earn?
Half of Rowley's 133 households earn less than $60,313 a year (±$7,758), against $78,236 in Buchanan County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $70,252 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Rowley | Buchanan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,313 ±$7,758 | $78,236 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $81,355 ±$16,715 | $89,957 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,956 ±$7,808 | $36,527 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.5% ±7.0 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.9% ±14.2 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.5% ±2.5 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.7% ±7.1 pts | 91.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 76.7% ±11.5 pts | 87.1% | – |
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 Rowley?
Owners occupy 86.5% of Rowley's occupied homes and renters 13.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $145,800 by its owner (±$25,671). The median renter pays $1,042 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Rowley | Buchanan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $145,800 ±$25,671 | $176,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,042 ±$669 | $848 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.7% ±40.9 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,000 ±$501 | $1,376 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.5% ±9.6 pts | 82.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.5% ±9.6 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Housing units | 135 ±34 | 8,945 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±61.3 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.6% ±4.9 pts | 83.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.7% ±3.2 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.5% ±2.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.2% ±3.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.1% ±12.1 pts | 24.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.3% ±2.4 pts | 6.6% | – |
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 Rowley building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Rowley 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 Rowley work and get to work?
78.4% of Rowley's workers drive alone and 12.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.0 minutes.
| Measure | Rowley | Buchanan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 72.4% ±12.2 pts | 67.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% ±8.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.4% ±10.9 pts | 77.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±7.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 2.9% ±3.7 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.7% ±8.2 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.0 min ±6.4 | 23.5 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 Rowley?
No census tract lies mostly in Rowley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9506Buchanan County | 4,609 | $85,054 |
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 Rowley) · Census block assignment files
How does Rowley compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Rowley is the 15,548th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 581st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Rowley 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 | 581st | 939 |
Rowley's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Rowley 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 Rowley?
27 of the 57 figures for Rowley 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 Rowley 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 Rowley.