Ottumwa is a city located in Wapello County Iowa. Ottumwa has a 2024 population of 25,184. It is also the county seat of Wapello County. Ottumwa is currently declining at a rate of -0.27% annually and its population has decreased by -1.06% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 25,455 in 2020.
The average household income in Ottumwa is $69,867 with a poverty rate of 18.99%. The median age in Ottumwa is 36.7 years: 33.9 years for males, and 38.9 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Ottumwa was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 20,689 | 81.58% |
| Two or more races | 1,470 | 5.8% |
| Black or African American | 1,113 | 4.39% |
| Other race | 962 | 3.79% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 519 | 2.05% |
| Asian | 518 | 2.04% |
| Native American | 88 | 0.35% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Asian
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 10,201 | 2.41 | 58.9 | 41.1 |
| Married | 4,029 | 2.96 | 83 | 17 |
| Non Family | 3,863 | 1.28 | 45.7 | 54.3 |
| Female | 1,715 | 3.45 | 38.2 | 61.8 |
| Male | 594 | 3.02 | 41.8 | 58.2 |
2.97
Average Family Size
2.41
Average Household Size
58.9%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,293 | 7.62% |
| Associates Degree | 1,844 | 10.87% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,940 | 11.43% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,340 | 7.9% |
| High School Graduate | 6,240 | 36.77% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 983 | 5.79% |
| Some College | 3,330 | 19.62% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 13,381 | 12,360 | 2,651 |
| Hispanic | 1,857 | 1,006 | 195 |
| 2+ Races | 761 | 604 | 286 |
| Black | 712 | 574 | 137 |
| Other Race | 575 | 311 | 30 |
| Asian | 363 | 225 | 139 |
| Islander | 260 | 195 | 1 |
| Native American | 41 | 7 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.37%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 38.29%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $49,808 | $61,815 | $47,620 |
| Graduate Degree | $75,066 | $78,438 | $71,250 |
| High School Graduate | $33,805 | $33,741 | $33,898 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $41,296 | $41,188 | $42,167 |
| Overall | $42,083 | $45,336 | $36,863 |
| Some College | $42,009 | $51,042 | $32,140 |
$42,083
Average Earnings
$45,336
Average Male
$36,863
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
84.39% of Ottumwa residents speak only English, while 15.61% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 9.65% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 18,134 | 3,464 | 19.1% |
| Hispanic | 3,684 | 396 | 10.75% |
| Black | 1,024 | 367 | 35.84% |
| Islander | 519 | 308 | 59.34% |
| Multiple | 1,399 | 125 | 8.93% |
| Asian | 513 | 19 | 3.7% |
| Other | 923 | 15 | 1.63% |
| Native | 84 | 7 | 8.33% |
18.99%
Overall Poverty Rate
19.32%
Male Poverty Rate
18.64%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Ottumwa is Islander, with 59.34% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Ottumwa is Other, with 1.63% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.24%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.95%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 29.16%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| High School | 23.95% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 23.88% |
| Some College | 10% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.46% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 60.33% |
| Female Unemployed | 31.11% |
| Male Employed | 10.56% |
| Female Employed | 10.17% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $61,429 | $77,080 |
| Households | $53,085 | $69,867 |
| Married Families | $84,037 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $40,285 | $53,959 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.6%
Male Marriage Rate
42.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,251
Number of Veterans
1,128
Male Veterans
123
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 347 |
| First Gulf War | 304 |
| Second Gulf War | 298 |
| Korea | 138 |
| World War II | 5 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 334 |
| 65 to 74 | 303 |
| 75+ | 249 |
| 55 to 64 | 236 |
| 18 to 34 | 129 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,142 | 7.03% |
| 2+ Races | 71 | 8.77% |
| Asian | 38 | 9.74% |
| Hispanic | 12 | 0.51% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.34%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.81%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63.3%
Labor Force Participation
60.5%
Employment Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
70.57%
Born in Ottumwa
88.8%
Native Born
11.2%
Foreign Born
6.36%
Non Citizen
4.84%
Naturalized
88.8% of Ottumwa residents were born in the United States, with 70.57% having been born in Iowa. 6.36% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 24,845 | -68 | -0.27% |
| 2028 | 24,913 | -68 | -0.27% |
| 2027 | 24,981 | -67 | -0.27% |
| 2026 | 25,048 | -68 | -0.27% |
| 2025 | 25,116 | -68 | -0.27% |
| 2024 | 25,184 | -68 | -0.27% |
| 2023 | 25,252 | 38 | 0.15% |
| 2022 | 25,214 | -182 | -0.72% |
| 2021 | 25,396 | -59 | -0.23% |
| 2020 | 25,455 | 936 | 3.82% |
| 2019 | 24,519 | 48 | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 24,471 | 12 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 24,459 | -201 | -0.82% |
| 2016 | 24,660 | -154 | -0.62% |
| 2015 | 24,814 | 9 | 0.04% |
| 2014 | 24,805 | -77 | -0.31% |
| 2013 | 24,882 | 38 | 0.15% |
| 2012 | 24,844 | -57 | -0.23% |
| 2011 | 24,901 | -160 | -0.64% |
| 2010 | 25,061 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 24,998 | 510 | 2.08% |
| 1990 | 24,488 | -2,893 | -10.57% |
| 1980 | 27,381 | -2,229 | -7.53% |
| 1970 | 29,610 | -4,261 | -12.58% |
| 1960 | 33,871 | 240 | 0.71% |
| 1950 | 33,631 | 2,061 | 6.53% |
| 1940 | 31,570 | 3,495 | 12.45% |
| 1930 | 28,075 | 5,072 | 22.05% |
| 1920 | 23,003 | 991 | 4.5% |
| 1910 | 22,012 | 3,815 | 20.96% |
| 1900 | 18,197 | 4,196 | 29.97% |
| 1890 | 14,001 | 4,997 | 55.5% |
| 1880 | 9,004 | 3,790 | 72.69% |
| 1870 | 5,214 | -19,631 | -79.01% |