City profile · Iowa · Census ACS 2023

Sun Valley Lake, IA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Sun Valley Lake - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

162
Residents
$127,188
Median income
$485,300
Median home
$919
Median rent (state)

Sun Valley Lake - the verdict

Sun Valley Lake ranks in the 89th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

89th
percentile, household income
84th
percentile, home value
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: Sun Valley Lake, IA

Iowa's Sun Valley Lake is a small town, with 162 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Sun Valley Lake households earn a median of $127,188 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Typical homes in Sun Valley Lake are valued around $485,300, and the median resident age is 69.7 years. About 67.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 42.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Iowa at 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $919 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Iowa run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 24.6 minutes, with 71.0% driving alone and 29.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 14.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

162 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Iowa

Median Household Income

$127,188 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average

How does Sun Valley Lake compare to other US cities?

Where Sun Valley Lake sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 89% higher than other cities
Home value 84% pricier 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 Sun Valley Lake 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 Sun Valley Lake near the bottom of Iowa's cities

Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sun Valley Lake ranks #450 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sun Valley Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#12 of 845
99th percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#450 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#6 of 849
99th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#764 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#5 of 858
99th 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.

89thIncome percentile

89th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Sun Valley Lake's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$485,300 16th percentile more affordable than 16% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Sun Valley Lake $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Sun Valley Lake, IA Sun Valley Lake, IA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sun Valley Lake, IA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Sun Valley Lake, IA median $127,188/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Sun Valley Lake, IA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Sun Valley Lake, IA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 67.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
162
Median Income
$127,188
Median Home Value
$485,300
Median Age
69.7
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
42.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
67.1%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.6 minutes
Drive Alone
71.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
29.0%

Based on 69 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 Sun Valley Lake 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
14.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Iowa

Elberon
162 people
Baldwin
161 people
Blairsburg
163 people
Decatur
163 people
Linden
163 people
Montour
163 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sun Valley Lake's 162 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Five Points, AL
162 people
Tumacacori-Carmen, AZ
162 people
Cokedale, CO
162 people
Fieldon, IL
162 people
Blairsville, IN
162 people
Blountsville, IN
162 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sun Valley Lake's $127,188 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Morgan Hill, PA
$127,188 median income
Forest Glen, MD
$127,196 median income
Otsego, MN
$127,219 median income
Dana Point, CA
$127,246 median income
Rosemount, MN
$127,247 median income
Severance, CO
$127,257 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sun Valley Lake, IA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Sun Valley Lake, IA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 94.4% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 5.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Sun Valley Lake 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
Sun Valley Lake (this city) 162 $127,188
Elberon 162 $58,750
Baldwin 161 $49,583
Blairsburg 163 $83,000
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sun Valley Lake, IA?

What is the population of Sun Valley Lake, IA? +

Sun Valley Lake, IA counts 162 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Sun Valley Lake, IA? +

In Sun Valley Lake, the typical household earns $127,188 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sun Valley Lake? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Sun Valley Lake; 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.

What is the median home value in Sun Valley Lake, IA? +

The median home value in Sun Valley Lake is $485,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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 PlainCities

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Every 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.