Census place 1975630

Storm Lake

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

Official Census name: Storm Lake city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Storm Lake.

According to the 2025 estimate, Storm Lake has a population of 11,590 and 2,136 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 41 covered Iowa places are: typical commute is 10.1 minutes, below the comparison median of 18.6 minutes; population density is 2,136/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,552/sq mi; and median home value is $172,200, below the comparison median of $219,200. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

typical commute
10.1 minutes
Below the comparison median of 18.6 minutes
population density
2,136/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,552/sq mi
median home value
$172,200
Below the comparison median of $219,200

National context

Follow the metrics.

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

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
11,590
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.4%
Population estimate
Density
2,136/sq mi
5.4 sq mi land area
Median age
30.9 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

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

Median household income
$62,765
Median home value
$172,200
Median gross rent
$898
Bachelor’s degree or higher
18.9%
Typical commute
10.1 min
Drive-alone commute
68%
Public transit commute
1%
Walked to work
6.1%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

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

Renter-occupied homes
33.7%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
28.9%

Work

How the workday lands.

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

Employed residents 16+
67.2%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.1%
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
95.1%
Homes built 2020+
0.5%
Households without a vehicle
1.9%
Households with children
32.7%
Residents with a disability
10.1%
Residents without insurance
7.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

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

Environmental declarations since 2000
14
Severe Storm declarations
10
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: SPENCER MUNI AP (36 mi from place center)
Average high
57.4°F
Average low
36.3°F
Annual rainfall
26.8"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Storm Lake.

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.

Ionia, MI

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

Population
12,208
Median home
$164,800

Celina, OH

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

Population
10,936
Median home
$164,100

Waupun, WI

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

Population
11,150
Median home
$188,600

Keep exploring

Compare Storm Lake with Ionia