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

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

Iowa City, IA had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 41 cities in 2023, at 26.3%. Norwalk, IA had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 11.1% and the figure for Iowa was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest26.3Iowa City, IA
Lowest3.2Norwalk, IA
Median11.141 cities
Iowa11History

All cities, 2023

Iowa City, IA: 26.3 %Iowa City, IA26.3Ames, IA: 25.9 %Ames, IA25.9Ottumwa, IA: 18.9 %Ottumwa, IA18.9Clinton, IA: 18.2 %Clinton, IA18.2Muscatine, IA: 16.5 %Muscatine, IA16.5Waterloo, IA: 16.4 %Waterloo, IA16.4Oskaloosa, IA: 16.1 %Oskaloosa, IA16.1Burlington, IA: 15.9 %Burlington, IA15.9Davenport, IA: 15.6 %Davenport, IA15.6Cedar Falls, IA: 15.6 %Cedar Falls, IA15.6Des Moines, IA: 14.9 %Des Moines, IA14.9Sioux City, IA: 14.6 %Sioux City, IA14.6Fort Dodge, IA: 14.4 %Fort Dodge, IA14.4Spencer, IA: 14.1 %Spencer, IA14.1Marshalltown, IA: 14 %Marshalltown, IA14Council Bluffs, IA: 13.2 %Council Bluffs, IA13.2Coralville, IA: 12.3 %Coralville, IA12.3Dubuque, IA: 12.2 %Dubuque, IA12.2Cedar Rapids, IA: 11.8 %Cedar Rapids, IA11.8Newton, IA: 11.2 %Newton, IA11.2Waverly, IA: 11.1 %Waverly, IA11.1Mason City, IA: 10.6 %Mason City, IA10.6Carroll, IA: 10.4 %Carroll, IA10.4Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.9 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.9Le Mars, IA: 8.9 %Le Mars, IA8.9Storm Lake, IA: 7.7 %Storm Lake, IA7.7Boone, IA: 7.7 %Boone, IA7.7Indianola, IA: 7.6 %Indianola, IA7.6Johnston, IA: 7.6 %Johnston, IA7.6Waukee, IA: 7.3 %Waukee, IA7.3West Des Moines, IA: 7.3 %West Des Moines, IA7.3Altoona, IA: 7.2 %Altoona, IA7.2Marion, IA: 7 %Marion, IA7Grimes, IA: 6.8 %Grimes, IA6.8Bettendorf, IA: 6.4 %Bettendorf, IA6.4Urbandale, IA: 6.3 %Urbandale, IA6.3Clive, IA: 4.8 %Clive, IA4.8North Liberty, IA: 4.4 %North Liberty, IA4.4Pella, IA: 4.4 %Pella, IA4.4Ankeny, IA: 4.1 %Ankeny, IA4.1Norwalk, IA: 3.2 %Norwalk, IA3.2Iowa City, IA: 26.3 %Iowa City, IA26.3Ames, IA: 25.9 %Ames, IA25.9Ottumwa, IA: 18.9 %Ottumwa, IA18.9Clinton, IA: 18.2 %Clinton, IA18.2Muscatine, IA: 16.5 %Muscatine, IA16.5Waterloo, IA: 16.4 %Waterloo, IA16.4Oskaloosa, IA: 16.1 %Oskaloosa, IA16.1Burlington, IA: 15.9 %Burlington, IA15.9Davenport, IA: 15.6 %Davenport, IA15.6Cedar Falls, IA: 15.6 %Cedar Falls, IA15.6Des Moines, IA: 14.9 %Des Moines, IA14.9Sioux City, IA: 14.6 %Sioux City, IA14.6Fort Dodge, IA: 14.4 %Fort Dodge, IA14.4Spencer, IA: 14.1 %Spencer, IA14.1Marshalltown, IA: 14 %Marshalltown, IA14Council Bluffs, IA: 13.2 %Council Bluffs, IA13.2Coralville, IA: 12.3 %Coralville, IA12.3Dubuque, IA: 12.2 %Dubuque, IA12.2Cedar Rapids, IA: 11.8 %Cedar Rapids, IA11.8Newton, IA: 11.2 %Newton, IA11.2Waverly, IA: 11.1 %Waverly, IA11.1Mason City, IA: 10.6 %Mason City, IA10.6Carroll, IA: 10.4 %Carroll, IA10.4Pleasant Hill, IA: 9.9 %Pleasant Hill, IA9.9Le Mars, IA: 8.9 %Le Mars, IA8.9Storm Lake, IA: 7.7 %Storm Lake, IA7.7Boone, IA: 7.7 %Boone, IA7.7Indianola, IA: 7.6 %Indianola, IA7.6Johnston, IA: 7.6 %Johnston, IA7.6Waukee, IA: 7.3 %Waukee, IA7.3West Des Moines, IA: 7.3 %West Des Moines, IA7.3Altoona, IA: 7.2 %Altoona, IA7.2Marion, IA: 7 %Marion, IA7Grimes, IA: 6.8 %Grimes, IA6.8Bettendorf, IA: 6.4 %Bettendorf, IA6.4Urbandale, IA: 6.3 %Urbandale, IA6.3Clive, IA: 4.8 %Clive, IA4.8North Liberty, IA: 4.4 %North Liberty, IA4.4Pella, IA: 4.4 %Pella, IA4.4Ankeny, IA: 4.1 %Ankeny, IA4.1Norwalk, IA: 3.2 %Norwalk, IA3.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Iowa City, IA26.3-0.5 pts
2Ames, IA25.9-0.9 pts
3Ottumwa, IA18.9-0.1 pts
4Clinton, IA18.2+1.2 pts
5Muscatine, IA16.5-0.9 pts
6Waterloo, IA16.4-1 pts
7Oskaloosa, IA16.1-1 pts
8Burlington, IA15.9-1.9 pts
9Davenport, IA15.6-0.2 pts
10Cedar Falls, IA15.6-1.4 pts
11Des Moines, IA14.9-0.3 pts
12Sioux City, IA14.6-0.2 pts
13Fort Dodge, IA14.4-0.7 pts
14Spencer, IA14.1+0.5 pts
15Marshalltown, IA14-0.3 pts
16Council Bluffs, IA13.2-0.4 pts
17Coralville, IA12.3+1.6 pts
18Dubuque, IA12.2-0.8 pts
19Cedar Rapids, IA11.8+0.4 pts
20Newton, IA11.2-1.1 pts
21Waverly, IA11.1+1.3 pts
22Mason City, IA10.60 pts
23Carroll, IA10.4+1.5 pts
24Pleasant Hill, IA9.9+0.6 pts
25Le Mars, IA8.9+2 pts
26Storm Lake, IA7.7+1.4 pts
27Boone, IA7.7-0.5 pts
28Indianola, IA7.6-1.1 pts
29Johnston, IA7.6-2.9 pts
30Waukee, IA7.3+1.5 pts
31West Des Moines, IA7.3-0.3 pts
32Altoona, IA7.2+1.2 pts
33Marion, IA7-0 pts
34Grimes, IA6.8+0.4 pts
35Bettendorf, IA6.4-1 pts
36Urbandale, IA6.3+0.8 pts
37Clive, IA4.8+2.1 pts
38North Liberty, IA4.4-0.1 pts
38Pella, IA4.4+0.3 pts
40Ankeny, IA4.1-0.6 pts
41Norwalk, IA3.2-0.9 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_iowa_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/iowa-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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)?

Iowa City, IA, with 26.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Norwalk, IA, with 3.2% in 2023.

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