Norwalk, IA

City in IA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

14,183

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

37.8

years ∙ half population younger than 37.8, half older

Diversity Index

14.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Norwalk is a city within Polk and Warren counties, Iowa, United States.

Location

City in IA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC41.483657° N, 93.695487° W

DMS41° 29′ 01.17″ N, 93° 41′ 43.75″ W

Population Density & area

1,223/sq mi (469.6/km²)

Total Area

12 sq mi (31.1 km²)

Land Area

11.6 sq mi (30.2 km²) · 97%

Water Area

0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²) · 3%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47.3% male

Male 47.3%

Female 52.7%

males per 100 females

Norwalk 89.9

Iowa 100.6

United States 98

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Norwalk 1.4%

Iowa 5.9%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.8

years ∙ half population younger than 37.8, half older

Norwalk

37.8

Iowa

38.6

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

68.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Norwalk 68.6

Iowa 69.6

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	26.6%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	59.3%	59%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	14.1%	18.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	68.6	69.6	64.4
Child dependency ratio	44.8	38.8	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	23.8	30.7	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

92.6%

Black

0.1%

Asian

1.2%

Hispanic

Other

3.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

14.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Norwalk 14.1%

Iowa 31.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Norwalk population

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3%	7.3%	19.3%
Mexican	1.3%	5%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	1.3%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	1.8%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97%	92.7%	80.7%
One race	94.1%	89.2%	76.4%
White	92.6%	82.3%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.1%	3.8%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.2%	0.5%
Asian	1.2%	2.5%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.2%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.9%	3.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69% family

Family 69%

Non family 31%

% family households

Norwalk 69%

Iowa 61.6%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.5

persons per household

Norwalk

2.5

Iowa

2.36

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Norwalk population

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Total households	5,610	1,315,707	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.5	2.36	2.53
Family households	3,870	809,836	82,990,528
Average family size	3.05	2.98	3.14
Married couple family	3,047	635,347	60,637,388
Other families	823	174,489	22,353,140
Male householder	324	56,457	6,572,819
Female householder	499	118,032	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,740	505,871	46,236,968
One-person households	1,554	406,436	37,140,836
Male householder	491	193,582	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	113	58,028	5,225,110
Female householder	1,063	212,854	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	503	111,645	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	186	99,435	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

5,820

housing units

Norwalk 5,820

Iowa 1,437,699

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

96.4% occupied

Occupied 96.4%

Vacant 3.6%

vacancy rate

Norwalk 3.6%

Iowa 8.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

82.7%

Single family houses

82.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

17%

Mobile homes

0.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

2001

Half of houses were built before 2001, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

11.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

30.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

53.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.2	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	10.2%	11.8%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	44.8%	47.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	45%	40.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.6%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	4.7%	9.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	16.9%	27%	25%
3 bedrooms	35.7%	37.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	40.1%	24.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	2001	1972	1981
Total housing units	5,820	1,437,699	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

82.5% owners

Renter-occupied 17.5%

Owner-occupied 82.5%

homeownership rate

Norwalk 82.5%

Iowa 71.7%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.61

Owner-occupied

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Norwalk 2.61

Iowa 2.5

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Total occupied units	5,610	1,315,707	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.2%	24.3%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	43.4%	38.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.8%	16.4%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	13.6%	20.7%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.1%	98.4%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.8%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27.8%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	45.4%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	22.9%	26.3%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	67.4%	72.8%	51.4%
Electricity	31%	24.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.6%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	0%	1.8%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.8%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2.7%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$303,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Norwalk

$303,100

Iowa

$208,000

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

14.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

14.7%

Owners without a mortgage

19.5%

Renters

38.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Property value
Median Value	$303,100	$208,000	$332,700
Under $100,000	2.5%	17.8%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	21.7%	30%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	24.9%	23.1%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	39.1%	21.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	11.4%	6.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.3%	1.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	71.2%	59.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	28.8%	40.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,921	$1,533	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$877	$616	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$838	$972	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

38.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Norwalk 38.8%

Iowa 31.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

2.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Norwalk 2.2%

Iowa 6.7%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,655

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.5%

K–12

78.6%

College / Undergraduate

12.8%

Graduate / Professional

2.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

45.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Norwalk

45.3%

Iowa

42.3%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,655	784,322	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6.5%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	78.6%	68.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.5%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.7%	20.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	28.6%	21.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.8%	21.6%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.9%	25.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.8%	20.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.1%	4.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	45.3%	42.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.5%	84.4%	82%
Private school	15.5%	15.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

9,790

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

1.5%

HS graduate

21.6%

Some college no degree

23.8%

Associates degree

13.5%

Bachelors degree

27.5%

Graduate or professional degree

11.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

80.6% · 19.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

18.9% · 81.1%

HS graduate

45.4% · 54.6%

Some college no degree

44.3% · 55.7%

Associates degree

44% · 56%

Bachelors degree

50.6% · 49.4%

Graduate or professional degree

42.6% · 57.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Population (25+)	9,790	2,154,149	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	0.7%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	1.5%	4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	21.6%	30%	26%
Some college, no degree	23.8%	19.7%	19.1%
Associate's degree	13.5%	12.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.8%	31.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	27.5%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	11.3%	10.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	97.8%	93.3%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$62,014

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,639

HS graduate

$52,583

Some college or associates

$49,088

Bachelors degree

$72,443

Graduate or professional degree

$102,011

Poverty Rate

2.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

41.7%

HS graduate

4.6%

Some college or associates

7.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Norwalk	Iowa	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$62,014	$51,106	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,639	$35,996	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$52,583	$41,528	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$49,088	$47,635	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$72,443	$62,744	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$102,011	$80,022	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	41.7%	21.5%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	4.6%	12.4%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.2%	8.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.4%	3.8%	4.5%

Insights for Norwalk, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.