City · Iowa
Thompson, Iowa
Thompson, city, in Winnebago County, Iowa. Thompson had 471 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 495 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 459 (±118). GEOID 1977745.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
471
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 495 · ACS 2020-2024: 459 ±118
Median household income
$61,250
±$24,540 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$95,700
±$16,999 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$733
±$33 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Thompson and what county is it in?
Thompson is a city in Winnebago County, Iowa. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 578 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 Thompson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 471 people lived in Thompson on July 1, 2025, down 4.8% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 495 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 459 (±118).
| Measure | Thompson | Winnebago County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 459 ±118 | 10,583 | no clear change |
| Households | 268 ±75 | 4,641 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.71 ±0.22 | 2.16 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 314 ±78 | 5,077 | no clear change |
Thompson's population since 2000
From 596 in 2000 to 471 in 2025: down 21.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Thompson 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 Thompson?
The median resident of Thompson is 58.6 years old; 12.0% are under 18 and 33.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.0%.
| Measure | Thompson | Winnebago County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.6 ±9.3 | 42.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.0% ±5.7 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 33.1% ±14.6 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Male | 60.1% ±7.6 pts | 51.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.9% ±4.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.1% ±8.3 pts | 89.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0% ±6.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±2.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±2.2 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.9% ±5.9 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 12.2% ±5.1 pts | 12.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.0% ±4.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.8% ±6.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 37.2% ±12.9 pts | 26.1% | +25.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.5% ±4.7 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.0% ±5.8 pts | 86.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.8% ±5.3 pts | 5.4% | – |
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 Thompson earn?
Half of Thompson's 268 households earn less than $61,250 a year (±$24,540), against $67,642 in Winnebago County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $54,766 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Thompson | Winnebago County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,250 ±$24,540 | $67,642 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,029 ±$18,988 | $85,071 | – |
| Per capita income | $45,362 ±$10,001 | $38,034 | +$13,350 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.5% ±4.8 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.6% ±16.5 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.3% ±4.9 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5% ±1.7 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.8% ±11.5 pts | 88.6% | – |
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 Thompson?
Owners occupy 81.3% of Thompson's occupied homes and renters 18.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $95,700 by its owner (±$16,999). The median renter pays $733 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Thompson | Winnebago County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $95,700 ±$16,999 | $135,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $733 ±$33 | $717 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.3% ±28.0 pts | 30.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $981 ±$91 | $1,184 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.3% ±9.2 pts | 70.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.7% ±9.2 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Housing units | 314 ±78 | 5,077 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.8% ±2.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±36.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 95.2% ±2.8 pts | 81.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% ±1.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.1% ±10.4 pts | 29.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.4% ±5.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
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 Thompson building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Thompson in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 2.1 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 Thompson work and get to work?
78.4% of Thompson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.9 minutes.
| Measure | Thompson | Winnebago County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.4% ±12.5 pts | 63.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% ±3.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.4% ±11.6 pts | 78.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2% ±3.3 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±10.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 5.6% ±5.7 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.5% ±7.0 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.9 min ±4.2 | 14.7 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 Thompson?
No census tract lies mostly in Thompson; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6802Winnebago County | 2,393 | $59,412 |
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 Thompson) · Census block assignment files
How does Thompson compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Thompson is the 13,444th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 450th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Thompson 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 | 450th | 939 |
Thompson's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Thompson 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 Thompson?
26 of the 57 figures for Thompson 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 Thompson 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 Thompson.