What is the population of Waterloo city?

Waterloo city has 66,947 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #8 of 1,026 in Iowa.

What is the median household income in Waterloo city?

Median household income in Waterloo city is $56,344 a year, 28.3% below the national figure of $78,538.

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

Median gross rent is $896 a month and the median home value is $150,200, so rent absorbs about 19.1% of median household income.

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

Homes cost about 2.7× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Waterloo city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 19.1% 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 82425

Waterloo, IA population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Waterloo, Iowa (Waterloo, IA — Census place “Waterloo city”) is 66,947 residents, ranking #8 of 1026 places in Iowa. Median household income is $56,344, the median home is worth $150,200 and median gross rent runs $896 a month. Looking for the Waterloo Iowa ZIP code list? 4 ZIP codes serve Waterloo, IA: 50701, 50702, 50703, 50707.

Population: 66,947Waterloo city residents
Median household income: $56,344Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $150,200Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $896Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 36.6 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 61.1%Owner-occupied households

Waterloo ZIP codes (Iowa)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Waterloo.

The Waterloo IA ZIP code list below covers 4 ZIP codes. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

What the numbers mean in Waterloo city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Waterloo city median would spend about 19.1% 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 2.7× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 16.4% of residents and 61.1% of households own their home.

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

Waterloo city, IA in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Waterloo city is a small city in Iowa, with 66,947 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #8 of 1,026 ranked by population — larger than 99% of them. The median age here is 36.6 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.

Households in Waterloo city earn a median of $56,344 a year, 28.3% below the national figure of $78,538 and 17% below 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 16.4% of residents here, above the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Waterloo city is valued at $150,200, 50.5% below the national figure and 4% below the $156,300 peer median, while median gross rent runs $896 a month, 36.3% below the national figure, or roughly $10,752 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 19.1% 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 2.7×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 61.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. The rent line includes utilities paid by the tenant, a definition worth remembering when comparing it against a landlord's quoted rate.

No figure on this page is estimated by us; each one comes straight from the published ACS tables for this area. 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.

More Iowa coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Waterloo city?: Waterloo city has 66,947 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #8 of 1,026 in Iowa.
What is the median household income in Waterloo city?: Median household income in Waterloo city is $56,344 a year, 28.3% below the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Waterloo city?: Median gross rent is $896 a month and the median home value is $150,200, so rent absorbs about 19.1% of median household income.
Is Waterloo city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 2.7× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Waterloo city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 19.1% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Waterloo city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.