City · Iowa
Washta, Iowa
Washta, city, in Cherokee County, Iowa. Washta had 199 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 209 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 180 (±57). GEOID 1982380.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
199
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 209 · ACS 2020-2024: 180 ±57
Median household income
$46,979
±$16,560 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$48,600
±$12,289 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$500
±$265 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Washta and what county is it in?
Washta is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 207 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 Washta, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 199 people lived in Washta on July 1, 2025, down 4.3% 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 180 (±57).
| Measure | Washta | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 180 ±57 | 11,600 | no clear change |
| Households | 93 ±28 | 5,045 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.94 ±0.32 | 2.22 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 126 ±34 | 5,557 | no clear change |
Washta's population since 2000
From 282 in 2000 to 199 in 2025: down 29.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Washta 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 Washta?
The median resident of Washta is 56.8 years old; 10.6% are under 18 and 30.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.8%.
| Measure | Washta | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.8 ±1.2 | 44.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 10.6% ±6.1 pts | 22.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 30.6% ±8.5 pts | 24.9% | – |
| Male | 56.7% ±11.2 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% ±2.8 pts | 5.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.4% ±5.2 pts | 88.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±3.3 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.5% ±4.5 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 18.3% ±7.3 pts | 12.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.0% ±11.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.6% ±19.3 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.9% ±8.6 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±2.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.3% ±5.2 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Washta earn?
Half of Washta's 93 households earn less than $46,979 a year (±$16,560), against $71,269 in Cherokee County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $53,074 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Washta | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,979 ±$16,560 | $71,269 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $60,787 ±$16,403 | $93,726 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,946 ±$8,511 | $41,258 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.4% ±5.7 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.1% ±23.8 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.5% ±7.4 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.0% ±8.7 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.0% ±8.5 pts | 87.1% | – |
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 Washta?
Owners occupy 84.9% of Washta's occupied homes and renters 15.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $48,600 by its owner (±$12,289). The median renter pays $500 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Washta | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $48,600 ±$12,289 | $158,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $500 ±$265 | $758 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±75.1 pts | 39.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $487 ±$202 | $1,307 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.9% ±9.9 pts | 75.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.1% ±9.9 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Housing units | 126 ±34 | 5,557 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±26.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±69.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.1% ±6.7 pts | 84.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.0% ±5.0 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±17.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.8% ±2.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 53.2% ±13.2 pts | 34.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±3.5 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 Washta building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Washta 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 Washta work and get to work?
85.1% of Washta's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.0 minutes.
| Measure | Washta | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.9% ±8.5 pts | 66.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.8% ±19.0 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 85.1% ±9.8 pts | 77.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.1% ±6.3 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±23.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 12.8% ±11.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±23.1 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.0 min ±3.7 | 16.7 min | −6.5 min |
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 Washta?
No census tract lies mostly in Washta; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 803Cherokee County | 1,601 | $72,870 |
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 Washta) · Census block assignment files
How does Washta compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Washta is the 16,517th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 662nd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Washta 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 | 662nd | 939 |
Washta's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Washta 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 Washta?
27 of the 57 figures for Washta 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 Washta 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 Washta.