Census place 1960465

Ottumwa

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

Official Census name: Ottumwa city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Ottumwa.

According to the 2025 estimate, Ottumwa has a population of 25,319 and 1,576 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 $106,300, below the comparison median of $219,200; median household income is $61,103, below the comparison median of $69,222; and median gross rent is $921, below the comparison median of $978. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$106,300
Below the comparison median of $219,200
median household income
$61,103
Below the comparison median of $69,222
median gross rent
$921
Below the comparison median of $978

National context

Follow the metrics.

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

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
25,319
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.6%
Population estimate
Density
1,576/sq mi
16.1 sq mi land area
Median age
36.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

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

Median household income
$61,103
Median home value
$106,300
Median gross rent
$921
Bachelor’s degree or higher
20.8%
Typical commute
17.8 min
Drive-alone commute
77.1%
Public transit commute
1.2%
Walked to work
1.1%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

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

Renter-occupied homes
38.3%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
48.5%

Work

How the workday lands.

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

Employed residents 16+
59.8%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.9%
Working from home
4.3%

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
86.4%
Homes built 2020+
0.5%
Households without a vehicle
7.7%
Households with children
35%
Residents with a disability
16.3%
Residents without insurance
7.1%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

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

Environmental declarations since 2000
11
Severe Storm declarations
7
Flood declarations
2
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: OTTUMWA IND AP (5 mi from place center)
Average high
61.3°F
Average low
40.2°F
Annual rainfall
37"
Annual snowfall
23.6"

Month by month

A year in Ottumwa.

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.

Kankakee, IL

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

Population
23,400
Median home
$104,900

Burlington, IA

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

Population
23,336
Median home
$114,300

East Chicago, IN

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

Population
25,610
Median home
$105,400

Keep exploring

Compare Ottumwa with Kankakee