City · Iowa
Woodward, Iowa
Woodward, city, mostly in Dallas County (74.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Boone County, Iowa. Woodward had 1,426 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,346 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 977 (±169). GEOID 1986970.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,426
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,346 · ACS 2020-2024: 977 ±169
Median household income
$65,658
±$13,936 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$179,900
±$13,572 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
not published
Iowa: $972
Where is Woodward and what county is it in?
Woodward is a city mostly in Dallas County (74.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Boone County, Iowa. It covers 3.6 square miles of land, 369 residents per square mile in 2020.
Woodward is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 1,008 | 74.9% |
| Boone County | 338 | 25.1% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Woodward, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,426 people lived in Woodward on July 1, 2025, up 5.8% since 2020, faster than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 1,346 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 977 (±169).
| Measure | Woodward | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 977 ±169 | 107,968 | −266 |
| Households | 364 ±64 | 42,471 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.27 | 2.53 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 398 ±69 | 44,804 | no clear change |
Woodward's population since 2000
From 1,200 in 2000 to 1,426 in 2025: up 18.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Woodward 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 Woodward?
The median resident of Woodward is 40.3 years old; 21.1% are under 18 and 15.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 1.8%.
| Measure | Woodward | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 ±3.7 | 36.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.1% ±5.2 pts | 26.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.6% ±5.1 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Male | 53.7% ±13.5 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 6.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.4% ±2.1 pts | 80.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±1.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.7 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±4.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| With a disability | 21.2% ±4.2 pts | 7.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.7% ±6.3 pts | 3.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.0% ±4.8 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.1% ±8.0 pts | 51.5% | +15.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±3.6 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.2% ±5.6 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.1 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Woodward earn?
Half of Woodward's 364 households earn less than $65,658 a year (±$13,936), against $102,379 in Dallas County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $78,910 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Woodward | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,658 ±$13,936 | $102,379 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $77,079 ±$9,865 | $137,324 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,662 ±$3,574 | $54,385 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.0% ±5.5 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.1% ±5.0 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.5% ±5.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.4% ±2.9 pts | 97.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.2% ±5.2 pts | 92.4% | – |
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 Woodward?
Owners occupy 77.5% of Woodward's occupied homes and renters 22.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $179,900 by its owner (±$13,572).
| Measure | Woodward | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $179,900 ±$13,572 | $355,600 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.3% ±26.1 pts | 29.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,390 ±$72 | $2,160 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 77.5% ±9.1 pts | 69.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 22.5% ±9.1 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Housing units | 398 ±69 | 44,804 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 17.1% ±18.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.9% ±9.0 pts | 62.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.3% ±4.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.8% ±1.9 pts | 32.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.2% ±9.3 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Woodward building?
Builders took permits for 11 new housing units in Woodward in 2025 (11 in single-family houses), 7.7 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 Woodward work and get to work?
74.8% of Woodward's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.0 minutes.
| Measure | Woodward | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.8% ±16.0 pts | 74.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.8% ±21.4 pts | 70.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.5% ±2.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 10.4% ±18.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 8.0% ±14.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.4% ±2.6 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.0 min ±5.3 | 21.2 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 Woodward?
No census tract lies mostly in Woodward; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Woodward) · Census block assignment files
How does Woodward compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Woodward is the 8,911th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 215th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Woodward ranks 174th 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 | 215th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 38th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 270th | 279 |
| Median household income | 174th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 227th | 279 |
| Median home value | 116th | 279 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 128th | 279 |
| Median age | 126th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 106th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 164th | 279 |
Woodward's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Woodward 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 Woodward?
27 of the 56 figures for Woodward 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 Woodward 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 Woodward.