City · Iowa
Tipton, Iowa
Tipton, city, in Cedar County, Iowa. Tipton had 3,060 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,149 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,106 (±19). GEOID 1978285.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,060
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,149 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,106 ±19
Median household income
$61,115
±$15,198 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$165,500
±$13,831 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$845
±$54 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Tipton and what county is it in?
Tipton is a city in Cedar County, Iowa. It covers 2.0 square miles of land, 1,557 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 Tipton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,060 people lived in Tipton on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 3,149 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,106 (±19).
| Measure | Tipton | Cedar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,106 ±19 | 18,349 | −101 |
| Households | 1,339 ±107 | 7,622 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.17 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,540 ±119 | 8,300 | no clear change |
Tipton's population since 2000
From 3,155 in 2000 to 3,060 in 2025: down 3.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Tipton 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 Tipton?
The median resident of Tipton is 38.3 years old; 24.1% are under 18 and 20.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.1%.
| Measure | Tipton | Cedar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.3 ±6.3 | 44.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.1% ±3.5 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.2% ±3.9 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Male | 45.0% ±4.2 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.1% ±3.6 pts | 2.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.8% ±4.7 pts | 93.2% | −6.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±2.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±2.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 15.9% ±4.5 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.6% ±2.9 pts | 4.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.4% ±3.9 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.2% ±6.3 pts | 23.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.8% ±2.3 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.6% ±5.3 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
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 Tipton earn?
Half of Tipton's 1,339 households earn less than $61,115 a year (±$15,198), against $80,602 in Cedar County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 the median was $78,780 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $17,665 after inflation. 12.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tipton | Cedar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,115 ±$15,198 | $80,602 | −$17,665 |
| Mean household income | $77,202 ±$11,552 | $97,864 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,452 ±$5,319 | $41,417 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.3% ±5.2 pts | 7.3% | +6.8 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.1% ±11.1 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.5% ±5.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.0% ±5.7 pts | 93.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.2% ±6.9 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 Tipton?
Owners occupy 72.2% of Tipton's occupied homes and renters 27.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,500 by its owner (±$13,831). The median renter pays $845 a month including utilities, and 62.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tipton | Cedar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $165,500 ±$13,831 | $211,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $845 ±$54 | $879 | +$99 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 62.7% ±16.7 pts | 43.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,359 ±$98 | $1,520 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.2% ±7.3 pts | 81.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.8% ±7.3 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,540 ±119 | 8,300 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.5% ±4.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.6% ±7.7 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.5% ±4.7 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.9% ±3.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 35.7% ±8.9 pts | 34.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.3% ±4.7 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Tipton building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Tipton 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 Tipton work and get to work?
75.1% of Tipton's workers drive alone and 9.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tipton | Cedar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.8% ±5.2 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.1% ±10.1 pts | 78.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.6% ±3.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 4.5% ±3.1 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.1% ±5.8 pts | 12.1% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.7 min ±4.5 | 26.7 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 Tipton?
1 census tract lies mostly in Tipton (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4503Cedar County | 3,464 | $63,125 |
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 Tipton) · Census block assignment files
How does Tipton compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Tipton is the 6,277th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 119th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Tipton ranks 204th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 119th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 240th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 44th | 279 |
| Median household income | 204th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 211th | 279 |
| Median home value | 147th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 136th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 88th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 199th | 279 |
| Median age | 172nd | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 156th | 279 |
| Work from home | 116th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 37th | 279 |
Tipton's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Tipton 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 Tipton?
19 of the 57 figures for Tipton 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 Tipton 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 Tipton.