What is the population of Indianola city?

Indianola city has 15,918 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #29 of 1,026 in Iowa.

What is the median household income in Indianola city?

Median household income in Indianola city is $78,125 a year, essentially level with the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Indianola city?

Median gross rent is $966 a month and the median home value is $228,100, so rent absorbs about 14.8% of median household income.

Is Indianola city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 2.9× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Indianola city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 14.8% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

Iowa · Census place 38280

Indianola, IA population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Indianola, Iowa (Indianola, IA — Census place “Indianola city”) is 15,918 residents, ranking #29 of 1026 places in Iowa. Median household income is $78,125, the median home is worth $228,100 and median gross rent runs $966 a month. Looking for the Indianola Iowa ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Indianola, IA: 50125.

Population: 15,918Indianola city residents
Median household income: $78,125Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $228,100Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $966Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 35.2 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 69.5%Owner-occupied households

Indianola ZIP codes (Iowa)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Indianola.

The Indianola IA ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

50125

What the numbers mean in Indianola city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Indianola city median would spend about 14.8% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 2.9× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 7.6% of residents and 69.5% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Indianola city, IA in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Indianola city is a mid-size town in Iowa, with 15,918 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #29 of 1,026 ranked by population — larger than 97% of them. The median age here is 35.2 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.

Households in Indianola city earn a median of $78,125 a year, essentially level with the national figure of $78,538 and 15% above the $67,791 median for the 290 Iowa cities we cover. This figure covers the household, not the worker: two people on ordinary wages at one address outrank a single professional in the same table. Poverty reaches 7.6% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Indianola city is valued at $228,100, 24.8% below the national figure and 46% above the $156,300 peer median, while median gross rent runs $966 a month, 31.3% below the national figure, or roughly $11,592 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 14.8% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 2.9×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 69.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans toward owners. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Iowa.

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Indianola city?: Indianola city has 15,918 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #29 of 1,026 in Iowa.
What is the median household income in Indianola city?: Median household income in Indianola city is $78,125 a year, essentially level with the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Indianola city?: Median gross rent is $966 a month and the median home value is $228,100, so rent absorbs about 14.8% of median household income.
Is Indianola city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 2.9× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Indianola city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 14.8% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Indianola city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.