Census place 1928515

Fort Dodge

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Fort Dodge city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Fort Dodge.

According to the 2025 estimate, Fort Dodge has a population of 24,837 and 1,552 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 41 covered Iowa places are: median home value is $144,100, below the comparison median of $219,200; median gross rent is $785, below the comparison median of $978; and median household income is $60,649, below the comparison median of $69,222. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$144,100
Below the comparison median of $219,200
median gross rent
$785
Below the comparison median of $978
median household income
$60,649
Below the comparison median of $69,222

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Fort Dodge's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
24,837
2025 estimate
Annual change
0%
Population estimate
Density
1,552/sq mi
16 sq mi land area
Median age
37.6 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$60,649
Median home value
$144,100
Median gross rent
$785
Bachelor’s degree or higher
21.7%
Typical commute
19 min
Drive-alone commute
80.2%
Public transit commute
0.4%
Walked to work
2.4%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
35.6%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
44.6%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
56.5%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.6%
Working from home
4.4%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
85.9%
Homes built 2020+
0.8%
Households without a vehicle
8.6%
Households with children
23%
Residents with a disability
15.2%
Residents without insurance
7.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Webster County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
11
Severe Storm declarations
8
Flood declarations
1
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: AMES MUNI AP (46 mi from place center)
Average high
59°F
Average low
38.1°F
Annual rainfall
35.9"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Fort Dodge.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Loves Park, IL

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
23,712
Median home
$160,400

La Porte, IN

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
22,600
Median home
$157,500

Marshalltown, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
27,536
Median home
$127,700

Keep exploring

Compare Fort Dodge with Loves Park