City safety & data profile

Council BluffsIA

Council Bluffs, IA is a 63K-resident city in Pottawattamie County with a median household income of $64,578.

Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Council Bluffs, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Council Bluffs has a population larger than 85% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $171,800, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

63K
Population
Top 15%
By size
$64,578
Median income
$171,800
Median home
15.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Council Bluffs

Council Bluffs posts a median household income higher than 29% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Council Bluffs area.

Top 71%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Council Bluffs

Where Council Bluffs income ranks nationally

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

$64,578 Bottom 29% higher than 29% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $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 Council Bluffs, IA beyond the headline numbers

Council Bluffs sits inside Pottawattamie County, Iowa, at roughly 41.26°N, -95.86°W. Population 62,597, $64,578 median household income. Median home value $171,800, median rent $1,030. Poverty rate 15.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Council Bluffs's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 40%, then short sleep duration at 35.2%. 2 hospitals in/around Council Bluffs, 4/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

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

Population
62,597
Council Bluffs
Median Income
$64,578
-5% vs avg
Median Home Value
$171,800
-25% vs avg
Median Age
38.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Pottawattamie County) - Council Bluffs'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
93K+0%
Median Income
$73,602+43%
Median Home Value
$195,700+55%
Poverty Rate
12.1%-12%
Unemployment
3.8%-42%

Economics

Economics indicators for Council Bluffs, IA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,030/mo
Poverty Rate
15.1% +6% vs avg
Unemployment 4.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 21.5%
Work From Home 8.4%
Public Transit 0.8%

Population

White 85.4%
African American 2.8%
Asian 1.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
40%
Short Sleep Duration
35.2%
High Blood Pressure
34.8%
Physical Inactivity
28.7%
Binge Drinking
20.7%
Current Smoking
18.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.1%
Diabetes
11.8%
Current Asthma
10.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 61.3%
Annual Checkup 76.5%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.9%
Stroke
3.6%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
CHI HEALTH MERCY COUNCIL BLUFFS
COUNCIL BLUFFS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★
METHODIST JENNIE EDMUNDSON
COUNCIL BLUFFS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Council Bluffs, IA? ▼
Council Bluffs, IA has a population of 62,597 people, located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
What is the median household income in Council Bluffs? ▼
The median household income in Council Bluffs, IA is $64,578 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 15.1%.
What is the median home value in Council Bluffs? ▼
The median home value in Council Bluffs, IA is $171,800. Median rent is $1,030/month.
What are the top health concerns in Council Bluffs? ▼
The top health indicators in Council Bluffs include Obesity (40%), Short Sleep Duration (35.2%), High Blood Pressure (34.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Council Bluffs? ▼
Council Bluffs has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Council Bluffs? ▼
The median age in Council Bluffs, IA is 38.7 years. 21.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Council Bluffs, IA is located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. With a population of 63K and a $64,578 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Council Bluffs 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

Omaha, NE 486K Bellevue, NE 56K La Vista, NE 17K Papillion, NE 20K Chalco, NE 11K Fremont, NE 26K Lincoln, NE 295K Beatrice, NE 12K
All cities in Iowa → Compare Council Bluffs vs Omaha → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Council Bluffs'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 Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs 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 (Pottawattamie 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.