City · Iowa
Wapello, Iowa
Wapello, city, in Louisa County, Iowa. Wapello had 1,979 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,084 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,765 (±227). GEOID 1982200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,979
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,084 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,765 ±227
Median household income
$72,708
±$24,902 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$143,900
±$24,353 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$711
±$82 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Wapello and what county is it in?
Wapello is a city in Louisa County, Iowa. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 1,604 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 Wapello, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,979 people lived in Wapello on July 1, 2025, down 5.0% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 2,084 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,765 (±227).
| Measure | Wapello | Louisa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,765 ±227 | 10,678 | no clear change |
| Households | 830 ±106 | 4,237 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.09 ±0.17 | 2.49 | −0.48 |
| Housing units | 862 ±107 | 4,739 | no clear change |
Wapello's population since 2000
From 2,124 in 2000 to 1,979 in 2025: down 6.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wapello 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 Wapello?
The median resident of Wapello is 49.6 years old; 13.7% are under 18 and 31.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.1%.
| Measure | Wapello | Louisa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 ±7.1 | 41.9 | +9.0 |
| Under 18 years | 13.7% ±3.5 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.5% ±6.9 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 48.7% ±3.8 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.1% ±5.8 pts | 16.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.4% ±6.2 pts | 77.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 2.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±3.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.6% ±4.8 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.4% ±5.5 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.6% ±4.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 33.4% ±7.3 pts | 16.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.6% ±3.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.8% ±6.3 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.6% ±5.5 pts | 16.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.0% ±2.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.0% ±3.3 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
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 Wapello earn?
Half of Wapello's 830 households earn less than $72,708 a year (±$24,902), against $77,354 in Louisa County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $81,754 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wapello | Louisa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,708 ±$24,902 | $77,354 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,277 ±$7,489 | $93,435 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,297 ±$2,914 | $36,126 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.4% ±3.1 pts | 9.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.1% ±6.3 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.4% ±9.4 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.4% ±5.4 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.5% ±5.4 pts | 87.8% | – |
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 Wapello?
Owners occupy 68.3% of Wapello's occupied homes and renters 31.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $143,900 by its owner (±$24,353). The median renter pays $711 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Wapello | Louisa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $143,900 ±$24,353 | $150,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $711 ±$82 | $775 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.0% ±14.6 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,266 ±$154 | $1,291 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.3% ±8.8 pts | 80.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.7% ±8.8 pts | 19.7% | – |
| Housing units | 862 ±107 | 4,739 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.3% ±5.4 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.4% ±5.5 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 32.3% ±8.6 pts | 30.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.3% ±5.7 pts | 5.5% | – |
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 Wapello building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Wapello in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.5 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 Wapello work and get to work?
79.4% of Wapello's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.2 minutes.
| Measure | Wapello | Louisa County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.5% ±6.6 pts | 63.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% ±2.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.4% ±7.8 pts | 80.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.9% ±5.2 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.2% ±4.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 min ±3.3 | 27.3 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 Wapello?
No census tract lies mostly in Wapello; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4503Louisa County | 3,799 | $73,712 |
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 Wapello) · Census block assignment files
How does Wapello compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wapello is the 7,716th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 169th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Wapello ranks 129th 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 | 169th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 266th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 38th | 279 |
| Median household income | 129th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 198th | 279 |
| Median home value | 190th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 227th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 190th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 252nd | 279 |
| Median age | 11th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 198th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 58th | 279 |
Wapello's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Wapello 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 Wapello?
21 of the 57 figures for Wapello 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 Wapello 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 Wapello.