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Palmer, IA

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

134
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

52.9
years ∙ half population younger than 52.9, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
7.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Palmer is a city within Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States.
Location
City in Pocahontas County, IA, US
Co-ordinates
DEC42.630096° N, 94.598517° W
DMS42° 37′ 48.35″ N, 94° 35′ 54.66″ W

Population Density & area

316.8/sq mi (122.3/km²)
Total Area
0.423 sq mi (1.096 km²)
Land Area
0.423 sq mi (1.096 km²) · 100%
Water Area
0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50% male
Male 50%
Female 50%
males per 100 females
Palmer 100
Pocahontas County 100.1
Iowa 100.6

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Palmer 0%
Pocahontas County 3.2%
Iowa 5.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

52.9
years ∙ half population younger than 52.9, half older
Palmer
52.9
Pocahontas County
43.7
Iowa
38.6

Dependency ratio

Low High
76.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Palmer 76.3
Pocahontas County 89.4
Iowa 69.6

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 10.4% 23.3% 22.9%
Working age (18-64) 56.8% 52.8% 59%
Senior (65+) 32.8% 23.9% 18.1%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 76.3 89.4 69.6
Child dependency ratio 18.4 44.2 38.8
Old-age dependency ratio 57.9 45.2 30.7
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
96.3%
Black
3%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
0.7%
Other
0%
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

Low High
7.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Palmer 7.2%
Pocahontas County 21%
Iowa 31.4%
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 Palmer population
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Hispanic or Latino 0.7% 5.8% 7.3%
Mexican 0% 4.1% 5%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.7% 0.3%
Cuban 0% 0.3% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0.7% 0.8% 1.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino 99.3% 94.2% 92.7%
One race 99.3% 90.3% 89.2%
White 96.3% 88.6% 82.3%
Black or African American 3% 0.7% 3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Asian 0% 0.2% 2.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0.8% 0.2%
Some Other Race 0% 0% 0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 0% 3.9% 3.5%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

41.8% family
Family 41.8%
Non family 58.2%
% family households
Palmer 41.8%
Pocahontas County 57.4%
Iowa 61.6%

Average household size

1.7
persons per household
Palmer
1.7
Pocahontas County
2.31
Iowa
2.36

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Palmer population
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Total households 79 3,000 1,315,707
Average houshold size 1.7 2.31 2.36
Family households 33 1,723 809,836
Average family size 2.52 3.07 2.98
Married couple family 26 1,417 635,347
Other families 7 306 174,489
Male householder 5 101 56,457
Female householder 2 205 118,032
Non-family households 46 1,277 505,871
One-person households 42 1,001 406,436
Male householder 24 558 193,582
Senior (65+) living alone 3 244 58,028
Female householder 18 443 212,854
Senior (65+) living alone 11 266 111,645
Other living arrangements 4 276 99,435

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

103
housing units
Palmer 103
Pocahontas County 3,651
Iowa 1,437,699

Occupancy status

76.7% occupied
Occupied 76.7%
Vacant 23.3%
vacancy rate
Palmer 23.3%
Pocahontas County 17.8%
Iowa 8.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

93.2%
Single family houses
Single family houses
93.2%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
6.8%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1941
Half of houses were built before 1941, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
47.6%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
43.7%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
6.8%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
1.9%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.7 6.3 5.9
1–3 rooms 7.8% 6.1% 11.8%
4–6 rooms 32.1% 47.5% 47.4%
7+ rooms 60.1% 46.6% 40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 0.7% 1.7%
1 bedroom 1.9% 6.8% 9.2%
2 bedrooms 22.3% 28.6% 27%
3 bedrooms 47.6% 33.7% 37.3%
4+ bedrooms 28.2% 30.3% 24.7%
At a glance
Median year built 1941 1950 1972
Total housing units 103 3,651 1,437,699
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

88.6% owners
Renter-occupied 11.4%
Owner-occupied 88.6%
homeownership rate
Palmer 88.6%
Pocahontas County 77.3%
Iowa 71.7%

Average household size

1.53
Owner-occupied
3
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Palmer 1.53
Pocahontas County 2.38
Iowa 2.5

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Total occupied units 79 3,000 1,315,707
Year moved in
2020 or later 12.7% 21.7% 24.3%
2010 to 2019 54.4% 32.3% 38.7%
2000 to 2009 7.6% 17.9% 16.4%
1999 or earlier 25.3% 28.1% 20.7%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 99% 98.4%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 0.8% 1.1%
1.51 or more 0% 0.2% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 1.3% 4.6% 5.4%
1 vehicle 34.2% 26.8% 30.5%
2 vehicles 38% 32.4% 37.8%
3 or more vehicles 26.6% 36.1% 26.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas 69.6% 71.9% 72.8%
Electricity 30.4% 26.2% 24.4%
Solar 0% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 1.1% 0.3%
All other fuels 0% 0.5% 1.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.2% 0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.4% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.5% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0% 1.4% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$39,600
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Palmer
$39,600
Pocahontas County
$98,100
Iowa
$208,000

Housing Cost Burden

15.4%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
15.4%
Owners without a mortgage
9.1%
Renters
100%
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
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Property value
Median Value $39,600 $98,100 $208,000
Under $100,000 90% 50.7% 17.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 5.8% 27.3% 30%
$200,000 - $300,000 2.9% 13.2% 23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000 1.4% 6.8% 21.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 2.1% 6.8%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 0% 1.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 37.1% 42.3% 59.4%
Without a mortgage 62.9% 57.7% 40.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,625 $1,151 $1,533
Without a mortgage $414 $446 $616
Gross rent
Median rent $— $832 $972

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

7.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Palmer 7.5%
Pocahontas County 18.7%
Iowa 31.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

16.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Palmer 16.8%
Pocahontas County 9.4%
Iowa 6.7%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

19
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
31.6%
K–12
52.6%
College / Undergraduate
10.5%
Graduate / Professional
5.3%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

15.4%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Palmer
15.4%
Pocahontas County
22.1%
Iowa
42.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Total enrolled (age 3+) 19 1,507 784,322
Nursery / preschool 31.6% 9.8% 6.2%
K–12 52.6% 77% 68.4%
Kindergarten 0% 8.2% 5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 0% 17.8% 20.3%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 0% 21.6% 21.3%
High School: Grades 9–12 52.6% 29.4% 21.6%
College or graduate school 15.8% 13.3% 25.4%
College, undergraduate 10.5% 11.1% 20.8%
Graduate, professional school 5.3% 2.1% 4.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 15.4% 22.1% 42.3%
School type
Public school 94.7% 89.6% 84.4%
Private school 5.3% 10.4% 15.6%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

107
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
0%
9th-12th, no diploma
16.8%
HS graduate
37.4%
Some college no degree
34.6%
Associates degree
3.7%
Bachelors degree
6.5%
Graduate or professional degree
0.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Palmer due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
—% · —%
9th-12th, no diploma
94.4% · 5.6%
HS graduate
50% · 50%
Some college no degree
45.9% · 54.1%
Associates degree
25% · 75%
Bachelors degree
71.4% · 28.6%
Graduate or professional degree
100% · 0%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Population (25+) 107 4,877 2,154,149
Less than 9th grade 0% 1.4% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 16.8% 8% 4%
High school diploma or GED 37.4% 33.9% 30%
Some college, no degree 34.6% 24.1% 19.7%
Associate's degree 3.7% 13.9% 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 7.5% 18.7% 31.4%
Bachelor's degree 6.5% 14.4% 20.9%
Graduate or professional 0.9% 4.2% 10.5%
High School or higher 83.2% 90.6% 93.3%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$57,750
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$—
Some college or associates
$37,143
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

12.5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
22.2%
HS graduate
30%
Some college or associates
7.3%
Bachelors degree or higher
12.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Palmer Pocahontas County Iowa
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $57,750 $44,214 $51,106
Less than high school graduate $— $40,184 $35,996
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $— $45,056 $41,528
Some college or associate's degree $37,143 $42,556 $47,635
Bachelor's degree $— $51,875 $62,744
Graduate or professional degree $— $75,365 $80,022
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 22.2% 19.1% 21.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 30% 10.4% 12.4%
Some college or associate's degree 7.3% 6.8% 8.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 12.5% 2.1% 3.8%

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