Ranking · Iowa
Richest and poorest places in Iowa
Polk City has the highest median household income of Iowa's 279 ranked places ($164,389); Audubon has the lowest ($39,816). Ranked: places with 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and an estimate whose coefficient of variation is 40% or less.
Which are the richest places?
Richest places in Iowa, first to fifth: Polk City ($164,389), Bondurant ($135,674), Van Meter ($135,139), Clive ($132,121) and Walford ($128,750).
| Rank | Place | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polk City | $164,389±$22,194 |
| 2 | Bondurantwithin the margin | $135,674±$12,902 |
| 3 | Van Meterwithin the margin | $135,139±$26,179 |
| 4 | Clivewithin the margin | $132,121±$9,130 |
| 5 | Walfordwithin the margin | $128,750±$16,666 |
| 6 | Lake Panoramawithin the margin | $126,563±$45,934 |
| 7 | Asburywithin the margin | $124,957±$31,186 |
| 8 | Sergeant Bluffwithin the margin | $123,481±$15,366 |
| 9 | Gilbertwithin the margin | $122,656±$14,351 |
| 10 | Robinswithin the margin | $122,262±$24,939 |
| 11 | Kent Estateswithin the margin | $121,971±$9,802 |
| 12 | Treynorwithin the margin | $121,696±$32,770 |
| 13 | Peostawithin the margin | $120,833±$13,646 |
| 14 | Hudsonwithin the margin | $120,481±$15,503 |
| 15 | Grimeswithin the margin | $120,037±$11,554 |
| 16 | Saylorvillewithin the margin | $117,821±$34,577 |
| 17 | Urbanawithin the margin | $115,655±$7,412 |
| 18 | Earlhamwithin the margin | $115,086±$23,338 |
| 19 | Fairfaxwithin the margin | $114,375±$23,877 |
| 20 | Park Viewwithin the margin | $113,409±$21,523 |
| 21 | Solonwithin the margin | $113,295±$25,955 |
| 22 | Urbandalewithin the margin | $112,795±$8,668 |
| 23 | Mount Vernonwithin the margin | $112,656±$21,207 |
| 24 | Grangerwithin the margin | $112,404±$13,201 |
| 25 | Atkins | $112,138±$11,245 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
Which are the poorest places?
Poorest places in Iowa, first to fifth: Audubon ($39,816), Clarinda ($46,348), Centerville ($46,563), Oelwein ($46,653) and Chariton ($46,979).
| Rank | Place | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 279 | Audubonwithin the margin | $39,816±$7,378 |
| 278 | Clarindawithin the margin | $46,348±$11,042 |
| 277 | Centervillewithin the margin | $46,563±$9,258 |
| 276 | Oelweinwithin the margin | $46,653±$10,232 |
| 275 | Charitonwithin the margin | $46,979±$11,523 |
| 274 | Hamptonwithin the margin | $47,088±$5,024 |
| 273 | Fayettewithin the margin | $47,917±$15,829 |
| 272 | West Burlingtonwithin the margin | $48,542±$16,049 |
| 271 | New Sharonwithin the margin | $48,750±$20,210 |
| 270 | Laurenswithin the margin | $48,988±$10,053 |
| 269 | Winfieldwithin the margin | $49,063±$6,289 |
| 268 | Dunlapwithin the margin | $49,375±$8,851 |
| 267 | Postvillewithin the margin | $49,485±$4,731 |
| 266 | Red Oakwithin the margin | $50,109±$7,799 |
| 265 | Iowa Fallswithin the margin | $50,417±$5,761 |
| 264 | Fort Madisonwithin the margin | $50,705±$5,175 |
| 263 | Woodbinewithin the margin | $50,804±$8,021 |
| 262 | Corydonwithin the margin | $51,250±$11,209 |
| 261 | Fairfieldwithin the margin | $51,311±$10,729 |
| 260 | Crestonwithin the margin | $52,633±$6,839 |
| 259 | Keokukwithin the margin | $52,711±$5,477 |
| 258 | Toledowithin the margin | $53,333±$9,028 |
| 257 | West Unionwithin the margin | $53,617±$6,600 |
| 256 | Esthervillewithin the margin | $54,124±$3,250 |
| 255 | Leon | $54,231±$9,510 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
Which places in Iowa have the highest income per person?
The survey publishes income per person without a top code, so it gives a figure even for the richest places: Lake Panorama has the highest estimate, $75,423 per resident (±$18,306), but it is within the margin of error of Arnolds Park ($69,667): the survey cannot say which is higher.
| Rank | Place | Per capita income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Panoramawithin the margin | $75,423±$18,306 |
| 2 | Arnolds Parkwithin the margin | $69,667±$11,274 |
| 3 | Tiffinwithin the margin | $61,387±$23,363 |
| 4 | Clivewithin the margin | $59,890±$5,108 |
| 5 | Jewell Junctionwithin the margin | $58,230±$19,438 |
| 6 | Johnstonwithin the margin | $57,529±$5,116 |
| 7 | West Des Moineswithin the margin | $57,275±$2,565 |
| 8 | Robinswithin the margin | $56,796±$10,619 |
| 9 | Clear Lakewithin the margin | $56,397±$12,908 |
| 10 | North Liberty | $56,369±$9,831 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
How is this ranking made?
Each place's median household income is read from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. A place enters the ranking if it had 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and its estimate has a coefficient of variation of 40% or less. Ties in the published figure share a rank. This is a measurement of one figure, not a judgment of a place.
Source: PlainCities ranking method applied to the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections