City safety & data profile

AltoonaIA

Altoona, IA is a 17K-resident city in Polk County with a median household income of $86,114.

Polk County, Iowa. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Altoona, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Altoona has a population larger than 35% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $274,600.

Data updated 2026-07-20

17K
Population
Top 65%
By size
$86,114
Median income
$274,600
Median home
8.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Altoona

Altoona posts a median household income higher than 56% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 44%
by median income, US cities

Where Altoona income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$86,114 Top 44% higher than 56% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Altoona, IA beyond the headline numbers

Altoona sits inside Polk County, Iowa, at roughly 41.64°N, -93.46°W. Population 16,984, $86,114 median household income. Median home value $274,600, median rent $1,235. Poverty rate 8.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Altoona's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 37.3%, then short sleep duration at 33.3%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Altoona from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
16,984
Altoona
Median Income
$86,114
+27% vs avg
Median Home Value
$274,600
+21% vs avg
Median Age
36.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Polk County) - Altoona's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
503K+15%
Median Income
$83,576+42%
Median Home Value
$262,100+70%
Poverty Rate
10.3%-13%
Unemployment
4.3%-31%

Economics

Economics indicators for Altoona, IA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,235/mo
Poverty Rate
8.3% -42% vs avg
Unemployment 7.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 33.5%
Work From Home 13%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 85.1%
African American 5.2%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
37.3%
Short Sleep Duration
33.3%
High Blood Pressure
31.5%
Physical Inactivity
23.4%
Binge Drinking
21.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.8%
Current Smoking
14.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.8%
Current Asthma
10.1%
Diabetes
9.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 69.1%
Annual Checkup 75.5%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.6%
Stroke
2.9%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Altoona, IA? ▼
Altoona, IA has a population of 16,984 people, located in Polk County, Iowa.
What is the median household income in Altoona? ▼
The median household income in Altoona, IA is $86,114 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.3%.
What is the median home value in Altoona? ▼
The median home value in Altoona, IA is $274,600. Median rent is $1,235/month.
What are the top health concerns in Altoona? ▼
The top health indicators in Altoona include Obesity (37.3%), Short Sleep Duration (33.3%), High Blood Pressure (31.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Altoona? ▼
The median age in Altoona, IA is 36.1 years. 33.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Altoona, IA is located in Polk County, Iowa. With a population of 17K and a $86,114 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Altoona area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Iowa

Real-time AQI for every monitored Iowa location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Des Moines, IA 214K Ankeny, IA 57K Johnston, IA 21K Urbandale, IA 44K West Des Moines, IA 64K Clive, IA 15K Norwalk, IA 10K Indianola, IA 15K
All cities in Iowa → Compare Altoona vs Des Moines → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Altoona's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Altoona area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Altoona against Iowa peers on any ranking lens. Explore Iowa

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Polk County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.