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Promise City, IA

City in Wayne County, IA, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

105
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

34.7
years ∙ half population younger than 34.7, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
5.6%
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

Promise City is a city within Wayne County, Iowa, United States.
Location
City in Wayne County, IA, US
Co-ordinates
DEC40.747648° N, 93.148345° W
DMS40° 44′ 51.53″ N, 93° 08′ 54.04″ W

Population Density & area

567.6/sq mi (219.7/km²)
Total Area
0.189 sq mi (0.488 km²)
Land Area
0.185 sq mi (0.478 km²) · 98%
Water Area
0.004 sq mi (0.01 km²) · 2%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.6% male
Male 48.6%
Female 51.4%
males per 100 females
Promise City 94.4
Wayne County 102
Iowa 100.6

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Promise City 0%
Wayne County 0.9%
Iowa 5.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

34.7
years ∙ half population younger than 34.7, half older
Promise City
34.7
Wayne County
41.5
Iowa
38.6

Dependency ratio

Low High
105.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Promise City 105.9
Wayne County 94.3
Iowa 69.6

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 33.3% 25.9% 22.9%
Working age (18-64) 48.6% 51.5% 59%
Senior (65+) 18.1% 22.6% 18.1%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 105.9 94.3 69.6
Child dependency ratio 68.6 50.4 38.8
Old-age dependency ratio 37.3 43.9 30.7
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
97.1%
Black
0%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
0%
Other
2.9%
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
5.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Promise City 5.6%
Wayne County 12%
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 Promise City population
Racial and ethnic composition — Promise City vs Wayne County vs Iowa. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Hispanic or Latino 0% 1.2% 7.3%
Mexican 0% 0.8% 5%
Puerto Rican 0% 0% 0.3%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 0.4% 1.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino 100% 98.8% 92.7%
One race 97.1% 94% 89.2%
White 97.1% 93.7% 82.3%
Black or African American 0% 0.2% 3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0% 0.2%
Asian 0% 0.1% 2.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0.2%
Some Other Race 0% 0% 0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2.9% 4.8% 3.5%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

59% family
Family 59%
Non family 41%
% family households
Promise City 59%
Wayne County 65.3%
Iowa 61.6%

Average household size

2.69
persons per household
Promise City
2.69
Wayne County
2.5
Iowa
2.36

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Promise City population
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Total households 39 2,565 1,315,707
Average houshold size 2.69 2.5 2.36
Family households 23 1,674 809,836
Average family size 3.65 3.16 2.98
Married couple family 17 1,446 635,347
Other families 6 228 174,489
Male householder 1 60 56,457
Female householder 5 168 118,032
Non-family households 16 891 505,871
One-person households 14 808 406,436
Male householder 6 364 193,582
Senior (65+) living alone 4 150 58,028
Female householder 8 444 212,854
Senior (65+) living alone 3 254 111,645
Other living arrangements 2 83 99,435

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

43
housing units
Promise City 43
Wayne County 3,019
Iowa 1,437,699

Occupancy status

90.7% occupied
Occupied 90.7%
Vacant 9.3%
vacancy rate
Promise City 9.3%
Wayne County 15%
Iowa 8.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

100%
Single family houses
Single family houses
100%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
0%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1938
Half of houses were built before 1938, and half after.
* The Census Bureau did not report an exact median year built for Promise City the estimate falls at or before 1939, the lower limit of the survey's reporting range.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
55.8%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
9.3%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
16.3%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
18.7%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.9 5.9 5.9
1–3 rooms 16.3% 10.9% 11.8%
4–6 rooms 27.9% 50.9% 47.4%
7+ rooms 55.9% 38.3% 40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 1% 1.7%
1 bedroom 14% 11.5% 9.2%
2 bedrooms 9.3% 27.7% 27%
3 bedrooms 53.5% 40.2% 37.3%
4+ bedrooms 23.2% 19.6% 24.7%
At a glance
Median year built 1938 1970 1972
Total housing units 43 3,019 1,437,699
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.4% owners
Renter-occupied 25.6%
Owner-occupied 74.4%
homeownership rate
Promise City 74.4%
Wayne County 80.9%
Iowa 71.7%

Average household size

2.28
Owner-occupied
3.9
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Promise City 2.28
Wayne County 2.5
Iowa 2.5

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Total occupied units 39 2,565 1,315,707
Year moved in
2020 or later 10.3% 16% 24.3%
2010 to 2019 59% 40.7% 38.7%
2000 to 2009 12.8% 18.6% 16.4%
1999 or earlier 17.9% 24.7% 20.7%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 98.5% 98.4%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 0.9% 1.1%
1.51 or more 0% 0.6% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 2.6% 6.7% 5.4%
1 vehicle 30.8% 26% 30.5%
2 vehicles 28.2% 39.5% 37.8%
3 or more vehicles 38.5% 27.8% 26.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas 56.4% 67.9% 72.8%
Electricity 30.8% 25.1% 24.4%
Solar 0% 0.2% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.2% 0.3%
All other fuels 12.8% 6.3% 1.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.5% 0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.1% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.4% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0% 0.7% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$53,900
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Promise City
$53,900
Wayne County
$111,300
Iowa
$208,000

Housing Cost Burden

16.7%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
16.7%
Owners without a mortgage
8.7%
Renters
0%
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
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Property value
Median Value $53,900 $111,300 $208,000
Under $100,000 79.3% 46.5% 17.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 10.3% 27.2% 30%
$200,000 - $300,000 6.9% 14% 23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000 0% 9.5% 21.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 3.4% 1.6% 6.8%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 1.1% 1.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 20.7% 44% 59.4%
Without a mortgage 79.3% 56% 40.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $760 $1,201 $1,533
Without a mortgage $396 $538 $616
Gross rent
Median rent $625 $659 $972

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

7.2%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Promise City 7.2%
Wayne County 17.2%
Iowa 31.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

8.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Promise City 8.6%
Wayne County 9.1%
Iowa 6.7%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

18
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
11.1%
K–12
88.9%
College / Undergraduate
0%
Graduate / Professional
0%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

0%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Promise City
0%
Wayne County
18.3%
Iowa
42.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Total enrolled (age 3+) 18 1,374 784,322
Nursery / preschool 11.1% 6.8% 6.2%
K–12 88.9% 80.5% 68.4%
Kindergarten 22.2% 3.1% 5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 11.1% 30.8% 20.3%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 55.6% 26.8% 21.3%
High School: Grades 9–12 0% 19.9% 21.6%
College or graduate school 0% 12.7% 25.4%
College, undergraduate 0% 10% 20.8%
Graduate, professional school 0% 2.8% 4.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 0% 18.3% 42.3%
School type
Public school 88.9% 78.9% 84.4%
Private school 11.1% 21.1% 15.6%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

69
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
4.3%
9th-12th, no diploma
4.3%
HS graduate
55.1%
Some college no degree
17.4%
Associates degree
11.6%
Bachelors degree
7.2%
Graduate or professional degree
0%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
66.7% · 33.3%
9th-12th, no diploma
66.7% · 33.3%
HS graduate
63.2% · 36.8%
Some college no degree
8.3% · 91.7%
Associates degree
50% · 50%
Bachelors degree
0% · 100%
Graduate or professional degree
—% · —%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Population (25+) 69 4,384 2,154,149
Less than 9th grade 4.3% 5.9% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 4.3% 3.2% 4%
High school diploma or GED 55.1% 40% 30%
Some college, no degree 17.4% 20.1% 19.7%
Associate's degree 11.6% 13.7% 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 7.2% 17.2% 31.4%
Bachelor's degree 7.2% 12.2% 20.9%
Graduate or professional 0% 5% 10.5%
High School or higher 91.3% 90.9% 93.3%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$45,000
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$38,750
Some college or associates
$40,000
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
33.3%
HS graduate
0%
Some college or associates
25%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Promise City Wayne County Iowa
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $45,000 $43,385 $51,106
Less than high school graduate $— $61,842 $35,996
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $38,750 $38,634 $41,528
Some college or associate's degree $40,000 $44,331 $47,635
Bachelor's degree $— $44,342 $62,744
Graduate or professional degree $— $46,964 $80,022
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 33.3% 16.8% 21.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 0% 7.1% 12.4%
Some college or associate's degree 25% 10.1% 8.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 9.5% 3.8%
Insights for Promise City, by topic

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