West Union, IA

City in Fayette County, IA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,489

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

Median Age

41.7

years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older

Diversity Index

25.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.3%

foreign-born population

95.7%Native

4.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

West Union is a city within Fayette County, Iowa, United States.

Location

City in Fayette County, IA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.958873° N, 91.813024° W

DMS42° 57′ 31.94″ N, 91° 48′ 46.89″ W

Population Density & area

905.1/sq mi (350.1/km²)

Total Area

2.75 sq mi (7.11 km²)

Land Area

2.75 sq mi (7.11 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

48.6% male

Male 48.6%

Female 51.4%

males per 100 females

West Union 94.6

Fayette County 101.3

Iowa 100.6

Nativity

4.3%

foreign-born population

95.7%Native

4.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

West Union 4.3%

Fayette County 2.1%

Iowa 5.9%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.7

years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older

West Union

41.7

Fayette County

43.9

Iowa

38.6

Dependency ratio

109.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

West Union 109.7

Fayette County 79.6

Iowa 69.6

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25.8%	21.4%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	47.7%	55.7%	59%
Senior (65+)	26.5%	22.9%	18.1%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	109.7	79.6	69.6
Child dependency ratio	54.2	38.4	38.8
Old-age dependency ratio	55.5	41.2	30.7

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

86%

Black

0.7%

Asian

2.7%

Hispanic

9.3%

Other

1.3%

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

25.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

West Union 25.1%

Fayette County 16.9%

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 West Union population

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Hispanic or Latino	9.3%	3.1%	7.3%
Mexican	2.1%	1.5%	5%
Puerto Rican	1.3%	0.2%	0.3%
Cuban	0.5%	0.2%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	5.4%	1.2%	1.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino	90.7%	96.9%	92.7%
One race	89.4%	93.2%	89.2%
White	86%	91%	82.3%
Black or African American	0.7%	0.8%	3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.3%	0.2%
Asian	2.7%	0.9%	2.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.3%	3.7%	3.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

50.6% family

Family 50.6%

Non family 49.4%

% family households

West Union 50.6%

Fayette County 58.4%

Iowa 61.6%

Average household size

2.12

persons per household

West Union

2.12

Fayette County

2.22

Iowa

2.36

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of West Union population

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Total households	1,106	8,342	1,315,707
Average houshold size	2.12	2.22	2.36
Family households	560	4,870	809,836
Average family size	2.97	2.87	2.98
Married couple family	378	3,931	635,347
Other families	182	939	174,489
Male householder	31	335	56,457
Female householder	151	604	118,032
Non-family households	546	3,472	505,871
One-person households	436	2,965	406,436
Male householder	157	1,429	193,582
Senior (65+) living alone	74	413	58,028
Female householder	279	1,536	212,854
Senior (65+) living alone	177	946	111,645
Other living arrangements	110	507	99,435

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,303

housing units

West Union 1,303

Fayette County 9,320

Iowa 1,437,699

Occupancy status

84.9% occupied

Occupied 84.9%

Vacant 15.1%

vacancy rate

West Union 15.1%

Fayette County 10.5%

Iowa 8.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

79.9%

Single family houses

79.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

12.5%

Mobile homes

7.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1961

Half of houses were built before 1961, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

35.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

32.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

23.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

8.7%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	6.5	5.9
1–3 rooms	12.6%	8.6%	11.8%
4–6 rooms	43.4%	41.7%	47.4%
7+ rooms	44%	49.8%	40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.3%	0.3%	1.7%
1 bedroom	7.1%	8.7%	9.2%
2 bedrooms	35.8%	26%	27%
3 bedrooms	34.8%	41.6%	37.3%
4+ bedrooms	22.1%	23.4%	24.7%
At a glance
Median year built	1961	1954	1972
Total housing units	1,303	9,320	1,437,699

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

62.2% owners

Renter-occupied 37.8%

Owner-occupied 62.2%

homeownership rate

West Union 62.2%

Fayette County 76.5%

Iowa 71.7%

Average household size

2.16

Owner-occupied

2.07

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

West Union 2.16

Fayette County 2.27

Iowa 2.5

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Total occupied units	1,106	8,342	1,315,707
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.5%	18.9%	24.3%
2010 to 2019	31.1%	34%	38.7%
2000 to 2009	17.5%	17.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27%	29.2%	20.7%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	99.4%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	0.6%	1.1%
1.51 or more	0%	0%	0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	11.4%	5.7%	5.4%
1 vehicle	38.2%	30.4%	30.5%
2 vehicles	31.6%	33.7%	37.8%
3 or more vehicles	18.8%	30.2%	26.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas	79.7%	79.3%	72.8%
Electricity	13.7%	14.2%	24.4%
Solar	0.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.5%	0.5%	0.3%
All other fuels	1.9%	4.6%	1.8%
No fuel used	3.8%	1%	0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.7%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.4%	1.2%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	1%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$121,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

West Union

$121,000

Fayette County

$136,800

Iowa

$208,000

Housing Cost Burden

25.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

25.9%

Owners without a mortgage

13.2%

Renters

37.8%

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 Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Property value
Median Value	$121,000	$136,800	$208,000
Under $100,000	41.6%	35.6%	17.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	36.2%	32.9%	30%
$200,000 - $300,000	10.9%	16.1%	23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000	10.8%	11.1%	21.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0.6%	2%	6.8%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	2.2%	1.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	49.9%	51.4%	59.4%
Without a mortgage	50.1%	48.6%	40.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,103	$1,239	$1,533
Without a mortgage	$493	$557	$616
Gross rent
Median rent	$967	$881	$972

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

23.6%

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

West Union 23.6%

Fayette County 20.7%

Iowa 31.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

8.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

West Union 8.7%

Fayette County 6.9%

Iowa 6.7%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

739

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

84.2%

College / Undergraduate

8.7%

Graduate / Professional

2.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

22.1%

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

West Union

22.1%

Fayette County

42.2%

Iowa

42.3%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Total enrolled (age 3+)	739	4,300	784,322
Nursery / preschool	5%	7.7%	6.2%
K–12	84.2%	71%	68.4%
Kindergarten	5.3%	5.7%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18.7%	18.6%	20.3%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	29.4%	21.7%	21.3%
High School: Grades 9–12	30.9%	25%	21.6%
College or graduate school	10.8%	21.2%	25.4%
College, undergraduate	8.7%	19.3%	20.8%
Graduate, professional school	2.2%	2%	4.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	22.1%	42.2%	42.3%
School type
Public school	95.3%	80.5%	84.4%
Private school	4.7%	19.5%	15.6%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,565

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.3%

HS graduate

39.4%

Some college no degree

17.1%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

15.9%

Graduate or professional degree

7.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50% · 50%

9th-12th, no diploma

38.4% · 61.6%

HS graduate

55.1% · 44.9%

Some college no degree

46.1% · 53.9%

Associates degree

26.4% · 73.6%

Bachelors degree

20.1% · 79.9%

Graduate or professional degree

58.7% · 41.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Population (25+)	1,565	13,485	2,154,149
Less than 9th grade	2.4%	2.9%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.3%	4%	4%
High school diploma or GED	39.4%	41.8%	30%
Some college, no degree	17.1%	18.4%	19.7%
Associate's degree	11.1%	12.2%	12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.6%	20.7%	31.4%
Bachelor's degree	15.9%	14.7%	20.9%
Graduate or professional	7.7%	6%	10.5%
High School or higher	91.2%	93.1%	93.3%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$45,192

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$32,083

HS graduate

$39,844

Some college or associates

$46,375

Bachelors degree

$45,469

Graduate or professional degree

$67,375

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

54.8%

HS graduate

4.7%

Some college or associates

4.8%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	West Union	Fayette County	Iowa
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$45,192	$45,396	$51,106
Less than high school graduate	$32,083	$33,973	$35,996
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$39,844	$44,063	$41,528
Some college or associate's degree	$46,375	$44,352	$47,635
Bachelor's degree	$45,469	$45,496	$62,744
Graduate or professional degree	$67,375	$73,071	$80,022
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	54.8%	31.9%	21.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	4.7%	11.7%	12.4%
Some college or associate's degree	4.8%	8.2%	8.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0%	3%	3.8%

Insights for West Union, 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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