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Van Wert, IA
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
188
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
57
years ∙ half population younger than 57, half older
Diversity Index
4.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
0%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Van Wert is a city within Decatur County, Iowa, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC40.870742° N, 93.792178° W
DMS40° 52′ 14.67″ N, 93° 47′ 31.84″ W
Population Density & area
528.1/sq mi
(204.1/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
51.6%
male
Male
51.6%
Female
48.4%
males per 100 females
Van Wert
106.6
Decatur County
98.5
Iowa
100.6
Nativity
0%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Van Wert
0%
Decatur County
1.9%
Iowa
5.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
57
years ∙ half population younger than 57, half older
Dependency ratio
75.7
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Van Wert
75.7
Decatur County
76.4
Iowa
69.6
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 11.7% | 22.2% | 22.9% |
| Working age (18-64) | 56.9% | 56.7% | 59% |
| Senior (65+) | 31.4% | 21.1% | 18.1% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 75.7 | 76.4 | 69.6 |
| Child dependency ratio | 20.6 | 39.1 | 38.8 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 55.1 | 37.3 | 30.7 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
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
4.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Van Wert
4.1%
Decatur County
18.4%
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 Van Wert population
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 0% | 3.5% | 7.3% |
| Mexican | 0% | 2.5% | 5% |
| Puerto Rican | 0% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0% | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 100% | 96.5% | 92.7% |
| One race | 97.9% | 93.1% | 89.2% |
| White | 97.9% | 90.2% | 82.3% |
| Black or African American | 0% | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0% | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.2% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.1% | 3.4% | 3.5% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
58.9%
family
Family
58.9%
Non family
41.1%
% family households
Van Wert
58.9%
Decatur County
60.8%
Iowa
61.6%
Average household size
1.98
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Van Wert population
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 95 | 3,055 | 1,315,707 |
| Average houshold size | 1.98 | 2.35 | 2.36 |
| Family households | 56 | 1,857 | 809,836 |
| Average family size | 2.52 | 2.95 | 2.98 |
| Married couple family | 48 | 1,521 | 635,347 |
| Other families | 8 | 336 | 174,489 |
| Male householder | 1 | 105 | 56,457 |
| Female householder | 7 | 231 | 118,032 |
| Non-family households | 39 | 1,198 | 505,871 |
| One-person households | 33 | 909 | 406,436 |
| Male householder | 22 | 397 | 193,582 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 3 | 147 | 58,028 |
| Female householder | 11 | 512 | 212,854 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 3 | 345 | 111,645 |
| Other living arrangements | 6 | 289 | 99,435 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
104
housing units
Van Wert
104
Decatur County
3,659
Iowa
1,437,699
Occupancy status
91.3%
occupied
Occupied
91.3%
Vacant
8.7%
vacancy rate
Van Wert
8.7%
Decatur County
16.5%
Iowa
8.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
76%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1974
Half of houses were built before 1974, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.4 | 6 | 5.9 |
| 1–3 rooms | 23% | 13.8% | 11.8% |
| 4–6 rooms | 41.3% | 44.8% | 47.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 35.6% | 41.3% | 40.7% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 3.8% | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | 1.9% | 15.5% | 9.2% |
| 2 bedrooms | 49% | 23.7% | 27% |
| 3 bedrooms | 42.3% | 39.3% | 37.3% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 2.9% | 20.3% | 24.7% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1974 | 1971 | 1972 |
| Total housing units | 104 | 3,659 | 1,437,699 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
87.4%
owners
Renter-occupied
12.6%
Owner-occupied
87.4%
homeownership rate
Van Wert
87.4%
Decatur County
69.7%
Iowa
71.7%
Average household size
1.99
Owner-occupied
1.92
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Van Wert
1.99
Decatur County
2.54
Iowa
2.5
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 95 | 3,055 | 1,315,707 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 16.8% | 24.4% | 24.3% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 16.8% | 36.7% | 38.7% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 31.6% | 17% | 16.4% |
| 1999 or earlier | 34.7% | 21.9% | 20.7% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 97.9% | 98.4% | 98.4% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 2.1% | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 2.1% | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 24.2% | 24.6% | 30.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 29.5% | 35.5% | 37.8% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 44.2% | 32.4% | 26.3% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 64.2% | 64.4% | 72.8% |
| Electricity | 32.6% | 27.2% | 24.4% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| All other fuels | 3.2% | 6.9% | 1.8% |
| No fuel used | 0% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 2.1% | 2.5% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 4.2% | 1.6% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$66,800
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
11.9%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
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
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $66,800 | $113,900 | $208,000 |
| Under $100,000 | 77.1% | 43.2% | 17.8% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 18% | 26.6% | 30% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 2.4% | 14.4% | 23.1% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 0% | 10% | 21.3% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 2.4% | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0% | 1.1% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 50.6% | 46.9% | 59.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 49.4% | 53.1% | 40.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $795 | $1,279 | $1,533 |
| Without a mortgage | $512 | $558 | $616 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $775 | $611 | $972 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
3.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Van Wert
3.5%
Decatur County
23.5%
Iowa
31.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
5.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Van Wert
5.6%
Decatur County
10.3%
Iowa
6.7%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
28
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
17.4%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 28 | 2,155 | 784,322 |
| Nursery / preschool | 3.6% | 4.3% | 6.2% |
| K–12 | 67.9% | 57.4% | 68.4% |
| Kindergarten | 0% | 2.6% | 5.2% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 10.7% | 16.3% | 20.3% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 17.9% | 18.9% | 21.3% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 39.3% | 19.6% | 21.6% |
| College or graduate school | 28.6% | 38.4% | 25.4% |
| College, undergraduate | 28.6% | 33.6% | 20.8% |
| Graduate, professional school | 0% | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 17.4% | 54.5% | 42.3% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 85.7% | 73% | 84.4% |
| Private school | 14.3% | 27% | 15.6% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
143
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 143 | 4,779 | 2,154,149 |
| Less than 9th grade | 1.4% | 4.7% | 2.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 4.2% | 5.6% | 4% |
| High school diploma or GED | 64.3% | 39% | 30% |
| Some college, no degree | 13.3% | 18.4% | 19.7% |
| Associate's degree | 13.3% | 8.8% | 12.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.5% | 23.5% | 31.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 3.5% | 12.3% | 20.9% |
| Graduate or professional | 0% | 11.2% | 10.5% |
| High School or higher | 94.4% | 89.7% | 93.3% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$39,375
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Van Wert | Decatur County | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $39,375 | $41,572 | $51,106 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $25,000 | $35,996 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $37,500 | $34,427 | $41,528 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $41,250 | $43,992 | $47,635 |
| Bachelor's degree | $33,750 | $51,343 | $62,744 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $— | $60,903 | $80,022 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 0% | 30.8% | 21.5% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 1.1% | 14.6% | 12.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 5.3% | 11.1% | 8.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0% | 6.7% | 3.8% |
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.
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