City · Iowa
Wadena, Iowa
Wadena, city, in Fayette County, Iowa. Wadena had 204 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 209 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 177 (±48). GEOID 1981570.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
204
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 209 · ACS 2020-2024: 177 ±48
Median household income
$38,750
±$18,514 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$94,200
±$16,844 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$532
±$33 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Wadena and what county is it in?
Wadena is a city in Fayette County, Iowa. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 278 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 Wadena, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 204 people lived in Wadena on July 1, 2025, down 1.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 209 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 177 (±48).
| Measure | Wadena | Fayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 177 ±48 | 19,288 | no clear change |
| Households | 94 ±24 | 8,342 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.88 ±0.33 | 2.22 | −0.46 |
| Housing units | 112 ±31 | 9,320 | no clear change |
Wadena's population since 2000
From 243 in 2000 to 204 in 2025: down 16.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wadena 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 Wadena?
The median resident of Wadena is 53.6 years old; 11.9% are under 18 and 33.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of some other race at 6.8%.
| Measure | Wadena | Fayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.6 ±9.5 | 43.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 11.9% ±6.8 pts | 21.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 33.9% ±10.8 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Male | 55.4% ±11.8 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.4% ±9.3 pts | 91.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±3.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 6.8% ±8.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±13.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.8% ±6.1 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 22.0% ±12.1 pts | 15.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.5% ±10.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.2% ±8.1 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.7% ±8.8 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.8% ±4.9 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.4% ±2.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Wadena earn?
Half of Wadena's 94 households earn less than $38,750 a year (±$18,514), against $60,165 in Fayette County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $66,150 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 27.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wadena | Fayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,750 ±$18,514 | $60,165 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $44,366 ±$13,448 | $80,301 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,084 ±$6,551 | $35,469 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 27.8% ±13.3 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 25.0% ±29.7 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.0% ±14.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.4% ±6.2 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.9% ±12.3 pts | 85.3% | – |
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 Wadena?
Owners occupy 76.6% of Wadena's occupied homes and renters 23.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $94,200 by its owner (±$16,844). The median renter pays $532 a month including utilities, and 76.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Wadena | Fayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $94,200 ±$16,844 | $136,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $532 ±$33 | $881 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 76.9% ±34.5 pts | 36.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,104 ±$329 | $1,239 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.6% ±16.4 pts | 76.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 23.4% ±16.4 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Housing units | 112 ±31 | 9,320 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±55.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.6% ±12.6 pts | 84.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.7% ±3.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±19.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±19.9 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 54.5% ±15.5 pts | 41.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.3% ±5.5 pts | 5.7% | – |
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 Wadena building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Wadena 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 Wadena work and get to work?
72.4% of Wadena's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 31.3 minutes.
| Measure | Wadena | Fayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 37.9% ±12.8 pts | 60.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% ±6.3 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.4% ±19.7 pts | 79.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2% ±7.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±33.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 3.4% ±5.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.2% ±20.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.3 min ±7.9 | 22.5 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 Wadena?
No census tract lies mostly in Wadena; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 802Fayette County | 3,397 | $57,402 |
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 Wadena) · Census block assignment files
How does Wadena compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wadena is the 16,444th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 658th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Wadena 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 | 658th | 939 |
Wadena's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Wadena 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 Wadena?
26 of the 57 figures for Wadena 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 Wadena 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 Wadena.