City · Iowa
Ruthven, Iowa
Ruthven, city, in Palo Alto County, Iowa. Ruthven had 714 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 725 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 732 (±140). GEOID 1969330.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
714
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 725 · ACS 2020-2024: 732 ±140
Median household income
$58,625
±$11,606 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$105,700
±$11,687 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$608
±$130 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Ruthven and what county is it in?
Ruthven is a city in Palo Alto County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 1,777 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 Ruthven, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 714 people lived in Ruthven on July 1, 2025, down 2.1% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 725 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 732 (±140).
| Measure | Ruthven | Palo Alto County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 732 ±140 | 8,863 | no clear change |
| Households | 269 ±57 | 3,782 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.44 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 335 ±61 | 4,535 | no clear change |
Ruthven's population since 2000
From 711 in 2000 to 714 in 2025: up 0.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ruthven 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 Ruthven?
The median resident of Ruthven is 34.5 years old; 28.0% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.3%.
| Measure | Ruthven | Palo Alto County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 ±9.1 | 41.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.0% ±5.6 pts | 23.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.9% ±4.1 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Male | 45.6% ±4.3 pts | 50.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.3% ±5.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.5% ±7.9 pts | 91.3% | −16.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.0% ±4.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.3% ±1.6 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.1% ±2.6 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7% ±3.7 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 12.0% ±3.9 pts | 13.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.7% ±3.5 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.6% ±2.4 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.6% ±5.0 pts | 19.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.2% ±5.8 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
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 Ruthven earn?
Half of Ruthven's 269 households earn less than $58,625 a year (±$11,606), against $72,781 in Palo Alto County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $45,950 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ruthven | Palo Alto County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,625 ±$11,606 | $72,781 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $77,667 ±$15,818 | $89,684 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,385 ±$4,857 | $37,828 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.3% ±5.6 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.0% ±13.4 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.6% ±7.5 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.9% ±3.9 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.0% ±6.5 pts | 89.8% | – |
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 Ruthven?
Owners occupy 78.4% of Ruthven's occupied homes and renters 21.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,700 by its owner (±$11,687). The median renter pays $608 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Ruthven | Palo Alto County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $105,700 ±$11,687 | $123,200 | +$31,981 |
| Median gross rent | $608 ±$130 | $638 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 12.0% ±17.4 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,131 ±$213 | $1,171 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.4% ±8.6 pts | 77.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.6% ±8.6 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Housing units | 335 ±61 | 4,535 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.7% ±5.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 31.0% ±21.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.6% ±9.3 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.6% ±4.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 43.9% ±10.4 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.7% ±6.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
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 Ruthven building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Ruthven 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 Ruthven work and get to work?
73.7% of Ruthven's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.8 minutes.
| Measure | Ruthven | Palo Alto County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.4% ±5.9 pts | 67.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.3% ±0.8 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.7% ±14.0 pts | 77.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.1% ±10.9 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 3.8% ±3.7 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.8% ±4.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.8 min ±3.2 | 17.2 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 Ruthven?
No census tract lies mostly in Ruthven; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9604Palo Alto County | 1,403 | $76,000 |
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 Ruthven) · Census block assignment files
How does Ruthven compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ruthven is the 11,741st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 361st-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Ruthven 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 | 361st | 939 |
Ruthven's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Ruthven 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 Ruthven?
22 of the 57 figures for Ruthven 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 Ruthven 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 Ruthven.