Like all states, Iowa has certain places that are going on hard times. These Iowa places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Iowa.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 85 cities in Iowa with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the poorest city in Iowa? According to the facts, Centerville is the poorest place in Iowa for 2025.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Iowa For 2025
1. Centerville
/10
Population: 5,377
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $41,472 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.7% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,437
More on Centerville: Data
Centerville, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Iowa thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 5,377 people averages the lowest median household income in Iowa and the 2nd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Cherokee
/10
Population: 5,157
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $48,693 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.7% (highest)
People In Poverty: 1,378
More on Cherokee: Data
The second poorest city in Iowa is Cherokee.
The city ranks as having the highest incidence of poverty and 3rd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 57th highest in the Hawkeye State.
3. Fairfield
/10
Population: 9,438
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 3)
Median Income: $48,302 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 19.2% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,810
More on Fairfield: Data
Placing as the third poorest city, Fairfield’s median income ranks as the 2nd lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 19.18% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Hawkeye State.
4. Keokuk
/10
Population: 9,748
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Median Income: $49,340 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 20.2% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,973
More on Keokuk: Data
Keokuk ranks as the fourth poorest place in Iowa.
The town ranks as having the 4th lowest median household income and the 7th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Oelwein
/10
Population: 5,878
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Income: $49,821 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.1% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,005
More on Oelwein: Data
The fifth poorest city in Iowa is Oelwein.
The city ranks as having the 6th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 12th highest in Iowa.
Still not the best news for Oelwein.
6. Anamosa
/10
Population: 5,553
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 9)
Median Income: $56,167 (15th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 20.4% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,134
More on Anamosa: Data
Anamosa ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Hawkeye State.
It ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty and the 2highest unemployment rate.
7. Red Oak
/10
Population: 5,542
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Median Income: $52,996 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 16.5% (15th highest)
People In Poverty: 912
More on Red Oak: Data
Red Oak places as the seventh poorest city in Iowa.
The city of over 5,542 ranks as having the 15th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Atlantic
/10
Population: 6,773
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Income: $57,486 (22nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.8% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,609
More on Atlantic: Data
Atlantic ranks as the eighth poorest city in Iowa.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Iowa City
/10
Population: 75,264
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Median Income: $57,533 (24th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.3% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 19,764
More on Iowa City: Data
Iowa City couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Iowa; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 24th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Iowa City ranks as having the 3rd most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Iowa.
10. Creston
/10
Population: 7,466
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 9)
Median Income: $50,752 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 16.0% (20th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,193
More on Creston: Data
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Iowa is Creston.
The city of 7,466 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Hawkeye State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Iowa for 2025
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2019-2023 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 85 places with more than 5,000 people in Iowa, we ranked each place from 1 to 85 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Centerville, crowned the “Poorest Place In Iowa For 2025”.
This report has been updated for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Iowa.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Iowa For 2025
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Iowa, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Iowa.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Iowa, according to data:
- Richest: Clive
2nd Richest: Polk City
3rd Richest: Asbury
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centerville | 5,377 | 26.7% | $41,472 | 1,437 |
| 2 | Cherokee | 5,157 | 26.7% | $48,693 | 1,378 |
| 3 | Fairfield | 9,438 | 19.2% | $48,302 | 1,810 |
| 4 | Keokuk | 9,748 | 20.2% | $49,340 | 1,973 |
| 5 | Oelwein | 5,878 | 17.1% | $49,821 | 1,005 |
| 6 | Anamosa | 5,553 | 20.4% | $56,167 | 1,134 |
| 7 | Red Oak | 5,542 | 16.5% | $52,996 | 912 |
| 8 | Atlantic | 6,773 | 23.8% | $57,486 | 1,609 |
| 9 | Iowa City | 75,264 | 26.3% | $57,533 | 19,764 |
| 10 | Creston | 7,466 | 16.0% | $50,752 | 1,193 |
| 11 | Ottumwa | 25,352 | 18.9% | $56,994 | 4,783 |
| 12 | Fort Madison | 10,221 | 14.8% | $49,359 | 1,514 |
| 13 | Waterloo | 66,947 | 16.4% | $56,344 | 10,979 |
| 14 | Maquoketa | 6,105 | 16.1% | $56,039 | 980 |
| 15 | Burlington | 23,800 | 15.9% | $55,274 | 3,786 |
| 16 | Ames | 66,112 | 25.9% | $60,102 | 17,129 |
| 17 | Clinton | 24,425 | 18.2% | $57,493 | 4,450 |
| 18 | Mount Pleasant | 9,093 | 17.1% | $59,216 | 1,553 |
| 19 | Muscatine | 23,567 | 16.5% | $59,332 | 3,888 |
| 20 | Washington | 7,314 | 15.0% | $56,536 | 1,094 |
| 21 | Denison | 8,247 | 20.1% | $63,850 | 1,661 |
| 22 | Estherville | 5,865 | 12.8% | $54,624 | 750 |
| 23 | Clarinda | 5,366 | 11.6% | $50,644 | 621 |
| 24 | Oskaloosa | 11,492 | 16.1% | $62,172 | 1,847 |
| 25 | Spencer | 11,393 | 14.1% | $57,068 | 1,607 |
| 26 | Charles City | 7,321 | 13.4% | $56,734 | 983 |
| 27 | Osceola | 5,495 | 15.3% | $62,363 | 842 |
| 28 | Newton | 15,696 | 11.2% | $56,321 | 1,761 |
| 29 | Fort Dodge | 24,788 | 14.4% | $61,769 | 3,564 |
| 30 | Manchester | 5,144 | 12.5% | $58,578 | 642 |
| 31 | Des Moines | 212,464 | 14.9% | $63,966 | 31,614 |
| 32 | Davenport | 101,083 | 15.6% | $64,497 | 15,768 |
| 33 | Sheldon | 5,386 | 16.3% | $68,448 | 877 |
| 34 | Hiawatha | 7,178 | 15.8% | $67,628 | 1,130 |
| 35 | Algona | 5,414 | 7.6% | $52,542 | 413 |
| 36 | Sioux City | 85,651 | 14.6% | $65,473 | 12,530 |
| 37 | Council Bluffs | 62,564 | 13.2% | $64,092 | 8,227 |
| 38 | Iowa Falls | 5,062 | 7.6% | $53,051 | 384 |
| 39 | Carroll | 10,261 | 10.4% | $59,323 | 1,070 |
| 40 | Perry | 7,928 | 11.4% | $63,983 | 903 |
| 41 | Dubuque | 59,271 | 12.2% | $64,985 | 7,207 |
| 42 | Coralville | 22,846 | 12.3% | $66,508 | 2,807 |
| 43 | Cedar Falls | 40,662 | 15.6% | $74,165 | 6,331 |
| 44 | Mason City | 27,135 | 10.6% | $62,369 | 2,865 |
| 45 | Storm Lake | 11,275 | 7.7% | $58,341 | 872 |
| 46 | Marshalltown | 27,491 | 14.0% | $68,854 | 3,856 |
| 47 | Grinnell | 9,527 | 10.9% | $64,426 | 1,042 |
| 48 | Cedar Rapids | 136,859 | 11.8% | $67,859 | 16,135 |
| 49 | Winterset | 5,384 | 11.4% | $69,268 | 615 |
| 50 | Decorah | 7,597 | 7.7% | $62,177 | 584 |
| 51 | Webster City | 7,769 | 9.5% | $65,844 | 738 |
| 52 | Boone | 12,445 | 7.7% | $67,269 | 958 |
| 53 | Waverly | 10,446 | 11.1% | $78,429 | 1,154 |
| 54 | Glenwood | 5,118 | 9.1% | $69,320 | 463 |
| 55 | Knoxville | 7,493 | 9.0% | $70,136 | 675 |
| 56 | Nevada | 6,952 | 10.3% | $75,221 | 715 |
| 57 | Orange City | 6,312 | 10.8% | $81,667 | 683 |
| 58 | Independence | 6,149 | 8.6% | $72,250 | 525 |
| 59 | Le Mars | 10,597 | 8.8% | $72,381 | 937 |
| 60 | Pleasant Hill | 10,796 | 9.9% | $86,890 | 1,065 |
| 61 | Clear Lake | 7,603 | 7.3% | $70,278 | 555 |
| 62 | Indianola | 15,918 | 7.6% | $78,125 | 1,209 |
| 63 | Adel | 6,259 | 9.1% | $96,905 | 569 |
| 64 | Spirit Lake | 5,469 | 7.0% | $73,627 | 385 |
| 65 | West Des Moines | 69,893 | 7.3% | $84,925 | 5,088 |
| 66 | Altoona | 20,592 | 7.2% | $87,123 | 1,480 |
| 67 | Marion | 41,690 | 7.0% | $87,105 | 2,930 |
| 68 | Johnston | 24,196 | 7.6% | $103,430 | 1,836 |
| 69 | Sergeant Bluff | 5,090 | 7.7% | $122,610 | 389 |
| 70 | Windsor Heights | 5,171 | 6.9% | $89,083 | 356 |
| 71 | Pella | 10,624 | 4.4% | $81,201 | 471 |
| 72 | Waukee | 26,974 | 7.3% | $106,728 | 1,971 |
| 73 | Tiffin | 5,271 | 7.1% | $106,034 | 374 |
| 74 | Bettendorf | 39,297 | 6.3% | $102,917 | 2,495 |
| 75 | Grimes | 15,810 | 6.8% | $104,497 | 1,079 |
| 76 | Sioux Center | 8,335 | 1.8% | $87,555 | 150 |
| 77 | Norwalk | 13,610 | 3.2% | $94,583 | 430 |
| 78 | Urbandale | 46,026 | 6.3% | $113,086 | 2,904 |
| 79 | North Liberty | 20,782 | 4.4% | $103,933 | 922 |
| 80 | Eldridge | 6,743 | 1.0% | $101,089 | 64 |
| 81 | Bondurant | 8,061 | 6.2% | $128,341 | 499 |
| 82 | Ankeny | 70,542 | 4.1% | $106,603 | 2,913 |
| 83 | Asbury | 5,949 | 5.2% | $130,071 | 306 |
| 84 | Polk City | 5,833 | 5.5% | $163,000 | 321 |
| 85 | Clive | 18,776 | 4.8% | $131,082 | 897 |
Ames is not poor at all it has one of the best districts in the USA