West Branch, IA

City in IA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,594

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

Median Age

36.7

years ∙ half population younger than 36.7, half older

Diversity Index

10.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

foreign-born population

99%Native

1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

West Branch is a city within Cedar and Johnson counties, Iowa, United States.

Location

City in IA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC41.666158° N, 91.344197° W

DMS41° 39′ 58.17″ N, 91° 20′ 39.11″ W

Population Density & area

1,009/sq mi (389.5/km²)

Total Area

2.57 sq mi (6.66 km²)

Land Area

2.57 sq mi (6.66 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

51% male

Male 51%

Female 49%

males per 100 females

West Branch 104.3

Iowa 100.6

United States 98

Nativity

foreign-born population

99%Native

1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

West Branch 1%

Iowa 5.9%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.7

years ∙ half population younger than 36.7, half older

West Branch

36.7

Iowa

38.6

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

67.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

West Branch 67.6

Iowa 69.6

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.6%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	59.7%	59%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	16.7%	18.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	67.6	69.6	64.4
Child dependency ratio	39.5	38.8	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	28	30.7	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

94.3%

Black

0.3%

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

3.7%

Other

1.4%

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

10.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

West Branch 10.9%

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 West Branch population

Racial and ethnic composition — West Branch vs Iowa vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3.7%	7.3%	19.3%
Mexican	3.4%	5%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.3%	1.8%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96.3%	92.7%	80.7%
One race	94.9%	89.2%	76.4%
White	94.3%	82.3%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.3%	3.8%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.2%	0.5%
Asian	0.3%	2.5%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.2%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.4%	3.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64% family

Family 64%

Non family 36%

% family households

West Branch 64%

Iowa 61.6%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.44

persons per household

West Branch

2.44

Iowa

2.36

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of West Branch population

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Total households	1,040	1,315,707	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.44	2.36	2.53
Family households	666	809,836	82,990,528
Average family size	2.99	2.98	3.14
Married couple family	502	635,347	60,637,388
Other families	164	174,489	22,353,140
Male householder	32	56,457	6,572,819
Female householder	132	118,032	15,780,321
Non-family households	374	505,871	46,236,968
One-person households	270	406,436	37,140,836
Male householder	106	193,582	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	22	58,028	5,225,110
Female householder	164	212,854	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	87	111,645	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	104	99,435	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,131

housing units

West Branch 1,131

Iowa 1,437,699

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

92% occupied

Occupied 92%

Vacant 8%

vacancy rate

West Branch 8%

Iowa 8.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

71.8%

Single family houses

71.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

15.8%

Mobile homes

12.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1994

Half of houses were built before 1994, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

13.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

16.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

27.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

42.6%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.2	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	5%	11.8%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	49.9%	47.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	45.1%	40.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	3.2%	9.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	23.5%	27%	25%
3 bedrooms	42%	37.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	31.3%	24.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1994	1972	1981
Total housing units	1,131	1,437,699	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

82.2% owners

Renter-occupied 17.8%

Owner-occupied 82.2%

homeownership rate

West Branch 82.2%

Iowa 71.7%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.58

Owner-occupied

1.82

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

West Branch 2.58

Iowa 2.5

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Total occupied units	1,040	1,315,707	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	31.3%	24.3%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	36.8%	38.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	16.3%	16.4%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	15.6%	20.7%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.8%	98.4%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.3%	1.1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	0.9%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	30.3%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	49%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	19.8%	26.3%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	78.5%	72.8%	51.4%
Electricity	21.5%	24.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	0%	1.8%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.1%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.1%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$216,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

West Branch

$216,100

Iowa

$208,000

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

28.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

28.4%

Owners without a mortgage

19.2%

Renters

43.4%

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

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Property value
Median Value	$216,100	$208,000	$332,700
Under $100,000	16.9%	17.8%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	28.2%	30%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	26.3%	23.1%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	21.2%	21.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7.4%	6.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	1.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	65.4%	59.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	34.6%	40.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,703	$1,533	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$740	$616	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,053	$972	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

31.9%

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

West Branch 31.9%

Iowa 31.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

West Branch 4%

Iowa 6.7%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

529

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.5%

K–12

90%

College / Undergraduate

2.8%

Graduate / Professional

4.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

10.2%

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

West Branch

10.2%

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

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	529	784,322	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	2.5%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	90%	68.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	12.3%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	28.5%	20.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	33.1%	21.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	16.1%	21.6%	21.7%
College or graduate school	7.6%	25.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	2.8%	20.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.7%	4.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	10.2%	42.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	96.6%	84.4%	82%
Private school	3.4%	15.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,736

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

1.8%

HS graduate

28.6%

Some college no degree

18%

Associates degree

17.5%

Bachelors degree

23%

Graduate or professional degree

8.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

33.3% · 66.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

83.9% · 16.1%

HS graduate

47.7% · 52.3%

Some college no degree

44.2% · 55.8%

Associates degree

42.2% · 57.8%

Bachelors degree

60.9% · 39.1%

Graduate or professional degree

38.1% · 61.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Population (25+)	1,736	2,154,149	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.2%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	1.8%	4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	28.6%	30%	26%
Some college, no degree	18%	19.7%	19.1%
Associate's degree	17.5%	12.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.9%	31.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	23%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.9%	10.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	96%	93.3%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$54,904

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$46,875

HS graduate

$51,667

Some college or associates

$54,137

Bachelors degree

$55,625

Graduate or professional degree

$81,250

Poverty Rate

3.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

20.7%

HS graduate

Some college or associates

5.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	West Branch	Iowa	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$54,904	$51,106	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$46,875	$35,996	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$51,667	$41,528	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$54,137	$47,635	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$55,625	$62,744	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$81,250	$80,022	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	20.7%	21.5%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	4%	12.4%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	5.1%	8.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.6%	3.8%	4.5%

Insights for West Branch, 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.

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