Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Iowa

Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Ames, IA had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 41 cities in 2022, at 26.8%. Clive, IA had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 10.6% and the figure for Iowa was 11.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest26.8Ames, IA
Lowest2.7Clive, IA
Median10.641 cities
Iowa11.1History

All cities, 2022

Ames, IA: 26.8 %Ames, IA26.8Iowa City, IA: 26.7 %Iowa City, IA26.7Ottumwa, IA: 19 %Ottumwa, IA19Burlington, IA: 17.8 %Burlington, IA17.8Waterloo, IA: 17.4 %Waterloo, IA17.4Muscatine, IA: 17.4 %Muscatine, IA17.4Oskaloosa, IA: 17 %Oskaloosa, IA17Clinton, IA: 17 %Clinton, IA17Cedar Falls, IA: 17 %Cedar Falls, IA17Davenport, IA: 15.8 %Davenport, IA15.8Des Moines, IA: 15.2 %Des Moines, IA15.2Fort Dodge, IA: 15.1 %Fort Dodge, IA15.1Sioux City, IA: 14.8 %Sioux City, IA14.8Marshalltown, IA: 14.3 %Marshalltown, IA14.3Spencer, IA: 13.6 %Spencer, IA13.6Council Bluffs, IA: 13.6 %Council Bluffs, IA13.6Dubuque, IA: 13 %Dubuque, IA13Newton, IA: 12.4 %Newton, IA12.4Cedar Rapids, IA: 11.4 %Cedar Rapids, IA11.4Coralville, IA: 10.7 %Coralville, IA10.7Mason City, IA: 10.6 %Mason City, IA10.6Johnston, IA: 10.5 %Johnston, IA10.5Waverly, IA: 9.8 %Waverly, IA9.8Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.3 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.3Carroll, IA: 9 %Carroll, IA9Indianola, IA: 8.7 %Indianola, IA8.7Boone, IA: 8.2 %Boone, IA8.2West Des Moines, IA: 7.5 %West Des Moines, IA7.5Bettendorf, IA: 7.4 %Bettendorf, IA7.4Marion, IA: 7.1 %Marion, IA7.1Le Mars, IA: 6.9 %Le Mars, IA6.9Grimes, IA: 6.5 %Grimes, IA6.5Storm Lake, IA: 6.4 %Storm Lake, IA6.4Altoona, IA: 6 %Altoona, IA6Waukee, IA: 5.8 %Waukee, IA5.8Urbandale, IA: 5.5 %Urbandale, IA5.5Ankeny, IA: 4.7 %Ankeny, IA4.7North Liberty, IA: 4.5 %North Liberty, IA4.5Pella, IA: 4.2 %Pella, IA4.2Norwalk, IA: 4.1 %Norwalk, IA4.1Clive, IA: 2.7 %Clive, IA2.7Ames, IA: 26.8 %Ames, IA26.8Iowa City, IA: 26.7 %Iowa City, IA26.7Ottumwa, IA: 19 %Ottumwa, IA19Burlington, IA: 17.8 %Burlington, IA17.8Waterloo, IA: 17.4 %Waterloo, IA17.4Muscatine, IA: 17.4 %Muscatine, IA17.4Oskaloosa, IA: 17 %Oskaloosa, IA17Clinton, IA: 17 %Clinton, IA17Cedar Falls, IA: 17 %Cedar Falls, IA17Davenport, IA: 15.8 %Davenport, IA15.8Des Moines, IA: 15.2 %Des Moines, IA15.2Fort Dodge, IA: 15.1 %Fort Dodge, IA15.1Sioux City, IA: 14.8 %Sioux City, IA14.8Marshalltown, IA: 14.3 %Marshalltown, IA14.3Spencer, IA: 13.6 %Spencer, IA13.6Council Bluffs, IA: 13.6 %Council Bluffs, IA13.6Dubuque, IA: 13 %Dubuque, IA13Newton, IA: 12.4 %Newton, IA12.4Cedar Rapids, IA: 11.4 %Cedar Rapids, IA11.4Coralville, IA: 10.7 %Coralville, IA10.7Mason City, IA: 10.6 %Mason City, IA10.6Johnston, IA: 10.5 %Johnston, IA10.5Waverly, IA: 9.8 %Waverly, IA9.8Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.3 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.3Carroll, IA: 9 %Carroll, IA9Indianola, IA: 8.7 %Indianola, IA8.7Boone, IA: 8.2 %Boone, IA8.2West Des Moines, IA: 7.5 %West Des Moines, IA7.5Bettendorf, IA: 7.4 %Bettendorf, IA7.4Marion, IA: 7.1 %Marion, IA7.1Le Mars, IA: 6.9 %Le Mars, IA6.9Grimes, IA: 6.5 %Grimes, IA6.5Storm Lake, IA: 6.4 %Storm Lake, IA6.4Altoona, IA: 6 %Altoona, IA6Waukee, IA: 5.8 %Waukee, IA5.8Urbandale, IA: 5.5 %Urbandale, IA5.5Ankeny, IA: 4.7 %Ankeny, IA4.7North Liberty, IA: 4.5 %North Liberty, IA4.5Pella, IA: 4.2 %Pella, IA4.2Norwalk, IA: 4.1 %Norwalk, IA4.1Clive, IA: 2.7 %Clive, IA2.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Ames, IA26.8+0.4 pts
2Iowa City, IA26.7-0.1 pts
3Ottumwa, IA19+3 pts
4Burlington, IA17.8-0.1 pts
5Waterloo, IA17.4+1 pts
6Muscatine, IA17.4+1.6 pts
7Oskaloosa, IA17-1.9 pts
8Clinton, IA17-0.9 pts
9Cedar Falls, IA17-0.1 pts
10Davenport, IA15.80 pts
11Des Moines, IA15.2-0.1 pts
12Fort Dodge, IA15.1-3.2 pts
13Sioux City, IA14.8+0.1 pts
14Marshalltown, IA14.3-0.4 pts
15Spencer, IA13.6-0.9 pts
16Council Bluffs, IA13.6+0.9 pts
17Dubuque, IA13+0.7 pts
18Newton, IA12.4-0.1 pts
19Cedar Rapids, IA11.4+0.1 pts
20Coralville, IA10.7+1.1 pts
21Mason City, IA10.6-0.3 pts
22Johnston, IA10.5+0.7 pts
23Waverly, IA9.8-0.7 pts
24Pleasant Hill, IA9.3+2.5 pts
25Carroll, IA9-0.8 pts
26Indianola, IA8.7-0.6 pts
27Boone, IA8.2+1.3 pts
28West Des Moines, IA7.5+0.9 pts
29Bettendorf, IA7.4+0.2 pts
30Marion, IA7.1-0.1 pts
31Le Mars, IA6.9-0.8 pts
32Grimes, IA6.5-0.3 pts
33Storm Lake, IA6.4-4.9 pts
34Altoona, IA6-0.1 pts
35Waukee, IA5.8+1 pts
36Urbandale, IA5.5-0.4 pts
37Ankeny, IA4.7+0.5 pts
38North Liberty, IA4.50 pts
39Pella, IA4.2+1.4 pts
40Norwalk, IA4.1+0.1 pts
41Clive, IA2.7-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_iowa_by_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Iowa by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Ames, IA, with 26.8% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Clive, IA, with 2.7% in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Iowa: more rankings