All Countries
Elma, IA
Full City Profile · Iowa · Howard County County
2.6
/5.0
C+
Fair
618
Population
502/sq mi density
$41,528
Median Income
$22,565 per capita
$71,400
Home Value
$209,483 Zillow
$668
Median Rent
40.2% income on rent
45°F
Avg Temperature
246 sunny days/yr
140
Violent Crime/100K
644 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.6 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
C+
Economy
2.6 / 5.0
$41,528 median income, 1.2% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$71,400 home value, $668/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
140 violent crimes/100K
D
Education
1.9 / 5.0
11.7% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013–2023)
Population Change
-8.4%
535 → 490
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
-0.87%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+10.5%
$37,574 → $41,528
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+1.01%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for Elma across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013–2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts — real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
461
-29 from 2023 (490)
Projected Median Income 2030
$44,555
+$3,027 from 2023 ($41,528)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 535 | — | $37,574 | — |
| 2015 | 537 | +0.4% | $38,889 | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 532 | -0.9% | $38,077 | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 527 | -0.9% | $48,214 | +26.6% |
| 2021 | 512 | -2.8% | $28,750 | -40.4% |
| 2023 | 490 | -4.3% | $41,528 | +44.4% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.