Iowa Profile: State Demographics, Economy and Housing
The Iowa Profile is a comprehensive data resource that gives policymakers and community leaders valuable insights into:
- Iowa demographics.
- Housing and average home prices in Iowa.
- Economic information.
- Projected housing needs.
- Quality of life, including public health, safety, transportation and education.
You can explore existing statewide dashboards or use our first-of-its-kind tool below to create customized reports and make comparisons with other regions. These tools empower changemakers in community and economic development to make informed decisions based on regularly updated data from diverse sources. The information they provide is essential to designing effective programs and resources to foster opportunities for Iowans, communities and businesses to thrive.
Explore statewide dashboards
Quality of Life
Delve into the crucial elements that shape the well-being of Iowans and our communities.
Housing
Search regional housing landscapes and identify unmet housing needs and priorities.
Economy
Discover data on the number and types of jobs in Iowa communities and get details on the local labor force, average commute times and more.
Housing Forecast*
Explore the projected demand for homes based on type and income by 2030.
*Available statewide and by county only.
Create customized interactive regional dashboards
How to use the customized dashboard tool
1. From the dropdown in the upper right corner of the dashboard generator, select Report Type.
- Demographics
- Economy
- Housing
- Housing Forecast*
- Quality of Life
*Housing Forecast available at state and county levels only.
2. Select Geography Type.
- County
- Place (city | other census-designated places)
- ZIP Code
- Census Tract
3. Click on the map to confirm your Geography Type selection if it’s not already highlighted in green.
You may select a Geography Type by:
- Selecting the area on the map using the zoom in/out tool on the lower right side of the page.
OR - Typing it in the Location Search bar.
- To search for a county, you must enter the name exactly as follows: Full county name, IA.
- If multiple options appear in the Location Search dropdown list, click on the exact county name.
Comparison Areas
- If you select Census Tract, ZIP Code or Place (City), the system will automatically include the corresponding city/county and state comparison data, as available.
- You can select up to two comparison areas of the same Geography Type. For example, up to three census tracts or three counties can be compared to each other in one report (the selected Geography Type in addition to the two comparison regions of the same Geography Type).
Overlays (Optional)
- You can add a Qualified Census Tract overlay, but this is not required.
Generate Dashboard
- Click the Generate Dashboard button at the bottom of the tool to submit your request. (If you are unable to select the Generate Dashboard button, you need to click on the map first to highlight your selected Geography Type in green, then click the Generate Dashboard button.)
- Your Dashboard will generate immediately for download and will appear in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Click on the See My Dashboard link to view your dashboard.
When generating a Housing Forecast dashboard for a county, the dashboard will default to the statewide Iowa Housing Forecast. To see a county-level Housing Forecast dashboard, click on the County Forecast link on the left of the dashboard.
Iowa Profile dashboard generator FAQs
Can I compare geographies outside of Iowa?
This Iowa Profile dashboard generator is designed to compare geographies within Iowa at the state, county, place, ZIP code and census tract level. If you are interested in exploring community data insights for geographies outside of Iowa, please reach out to mySidewalk.
Is this data available at the city level?
Yes. In the Iowa Profile dashboard generator, select Place under Geography Type. The map will outline cities where the data is available. Places are defined by the census as concentrations of population density, so this geography level won’t cover all areas of the state. Select the cities you want to explore on the map and then generate a dashboard. Please note: Housing forecasts are the exception and are only available at the state and county levels.
What is the source of the data you are showing?
These dashboards use numerous sources to enhance data storytelling across Iowa. There is a source listed below each chart and a data definitions page will be added soon.
Can I embed dashboard charts on my website?
Yes. To embed individual charts from your dashboards into a webpage click the </> symbol next to the chart to copy the embed code. You can also add a hyperlink for the whole dashboard by copying the URL of your dashboard.
Is there a way to change the source data on the reports?
About 50% of the data indicators in these dashboards are automatically updated annually, based on when new data becomes available from the source. For example, ACS 5-Year Estimate data is updated every December. HUD CHAS data is updated in the fall (subject to change). The rest of the data in the dashboards is static from when you generate your dashboard. About once a year, the data sources in the Iowa Profile dashboard generator will be updated, and IFA will announce the updates.
Is there a way to set the default of the link to exclude Iowa as a whole so it doesn't skew the data at the local level?
No, there is not an option to exclude state-level data from the dashboards. However, you can go through and deselect Iowa from the charts so it only shows data at a smaller granularity.
Can I see the major or largest employers in each county/community?
The dashboards don’t include data on top employers, but you can see top industries.
Are projections only available for housing data?
A few additional charts, such as the Demographics dashboard, include projection data. But the Housing Forecast dashboard is the only dashboard exclusively looking at projection data. If you are interested in additional projection data, please let IFA know. We can explore adding it during future updates.
Can I get a recommendation on how to properly decide on comparison geographies?
It depends on what you want to learn using the Iowa Profile. The data tool enables you to compare across the same type of geographies, such as county to county or census tract to census tract. You may want to compare your geography to your peer county, city, ZIP code or census tract. Or you could consider comparing the geographies of similar areas or population density. All dashboards also include automatic comparisons to larger geographies than what is selected, such as state data.
Is CDFI or low-income data provided for selection in the dashboard?
There is low-income data in the Demographics, Economy and Housing dashboards. If you are interested in CDFI data, please let IFA know, and we can explore it for future Iowa Profile updates.
Can I select all counties?
There isn’t an option to select all counties at once; you will need to download multiple dashboards. Some of the dashboards have maps looking at data across the whole state, which may allow for comparison across counties or census tracts. Another place to look would be the state dashboards at iowafinance.com/iowaprofile for that bigger-picture view of the data.
Since ACS data is being used significantly, does the website provide the user with any background on the margins of error in the data?
The margin of error is not included in the dashboards. However, a data definitions page will be available soon to allow you to dive deeper into the data definitions and the methodology behind the data.
Is veteran status tracked in the demographic data?
Yes, you will find veteran status data at the bottom of the Demographics dashboard.
Will the dashboard be able to weight data?
Here are two resources on how we apportion the data in these dashboards and the mySidewalk data library:
Do other states have data like this?
Nebraska also has a dashboard generator. mySidewalk has a data library with over 4 billion data points from geographies from the national level down to the census block group. If you are interested in data for additional states and communities, reach out to mySidewalk to learn more about their complete data library and data-storytelling tools.
Is information on inflows and outflows available in this data?
The dashboards don’t contain origin-destination data. The data values in these dashboards belong to only one geography.
Is it possible to compare a city's current information to the same information from some point in the past?
There is some historical data included throughout the dashboard. If you are interested in additional data, please follow up with IFA, and we can explore adding historical data for future updates.
What if there is no data for my community? Is there a recommended way to get that data updated/added?
For each data indicator, we included all data available from the original data source for all geography levels included in the Iowa Profile (state, county, place, ZIP code and census tract). Some geographies may not have data due to a lack of data reporting or a limit on the amount of data available, among other reasons.
Is there a data dictionary on the site?
A data definitions page will be available soon.
Are there any restrictions on how I can share info with the public or post links to websites?
Data transparency is a top priority for IFA with the investment in this free-to-use data tool. Feel free to share the data dashboards, link to certain charts, embed them in your website and post them on social media.
Is it possible to track in real time who uses certain amenities in the county, and where else they visit?
This data is not currently in the Iowa Profile. However, if you are interested in specific data being added, please reach out to IFA, and we will explore it for future updates.
Does the platform contain information about where people live versus where they work?
There is data on the top industries people work in based on where they live, and there is commuting time and distance data. These indicators can be found in the Economy dashboard.