State profile · IA
Largest Cities in Iowa
Ranked by resident population across 858 tracked cities and towns in Iowa, using Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). This compares cities and Census-designated places, not metropolitan areas.
- 858
- Cities
- 2,601,792
- Combined city pop.
- $68,941
- Avg median income
- 7.5%
- Avg poverty rate
Data updated July 2026
The headline finding
Des Moines is the largest of 858 tracked cities in Iowa, which ranks #29 of 52 nationally on avg median income.
- Des Moines
- largest tracked city (212,464 people)
- #29
- national rank, avg median income
- 858
- cities tracked in this state
Every figure here is read live from the same table rendered below.
95% of Iowa's 858 tracked cities are small towns under 10,000 people -- none crosses the 1-million-resident mark.
How we calculate this mix & the national home-value percentile below
Every tracked city in Iowa is bucketed by population: small town under 10,000; mid-size 10,000–99,999; large 100,000–999,999; megacity 1,000,000+. The national home-value comparison below plots Iowa's average tracked-city home value against all 52 US states/territories, ranked the same way as the per-city percentiles: the state's percentile is the share of states with a lower average home value. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Largest cities in Iowa
By population, hover or tap a bar for income detail
- Des Moines
Des Moines, IA
212,464 residents
- Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, IA
136,859 residents
- Davenport
Davenport, IA
101,083 residents
- Sioux City
Sioux City, IA
85,651 residents
- Iowa City 75,264
Iowa City, IA
75,264 residents
- Ankeny 70,542
Ankeny, IA
70,542 residents
- West Des Moines 69,893
West Des Moines, IA
69,893 residents
- Waterloo 66,947
Waterloo, IA
66,947 residents
- Ames 66,112
Ames, IA
66,112 residents
- Council Bluffs 62,564
Council Bluffs, IA
62,564 residents
- Dubuque 59,271
Dubuque, IA
59,271 residents
- Urbandale 46,026
Urbandale, IA
46,026 residents
What this shows Des Moines, IA is the most populous city profiled in Iowa; the full list of all 858 cities follows below.
How Iowa ranks nationally
Avg median income
$68,941
#29 of 52 · highest income
Avg home value
$136,804
#45 of 52 · highest values
Avg poverty rate
7.5%
#15 of 52 · lowest poverty
Tracked cities
858
#9 of 52 · most tracked cities
Iowa ranks #29 of 52 nationally on average median income and #15 of 52 on average poverty rate, derived live by comparing it against every other tracked state. Averages are computed only across the cities PlainCities tracks in each state, not full state populations.
How Iowa's home values compare nationally
Average tracked-city home value vs. all 52 US states/territories
$136,804 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 52 US states
Each bar is a $50K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Which cities does Iowa include?
What to do with Iowa's city data
858 cities is a lot to browse, here's where to start.
- Des Moines is Iowa's largest tracked city by population, start there if you want the fullest picture of a major IA metro. Des Moines profile
- Oak Hills has the highest median household income of any tracked city in Iowa, a different lens than population size alone. Oak Hills profile
- See how Iowa's cities stack up nationally, not just against each other. National rankings
City counts and averages on this page cover only the 858 places with sufficient Census ACS data, smaller towns below the reporting threshold are not included.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cities does PlainCities track in Iowa?
PlainCities profiles 858 cities and towns in Iowa, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the largest city in Iowa?
Des Moines is the largest tracked city in Iowa, with a population of 212,464.
What is the average household income in Iowa?
Across the 858 tracked cities in Iowa, the average median household income is $68,941. Individual cities vary widely, with Oak Hills reporting the highest median income at $250,001.
What is the average poverty rate in Iowa?
The average poverty rate across Iowa's tracked cities is 7.5%, based on Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.