City safety & data profile

JohnstonIA

Johnston, IA is a 21K-resident city in Polk County with a median household income of $106,551.

Polk County, Iowa. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Johnston, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Johnston has a population larger than 46% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $369,100.

Data updated 2026-07-20

21K
Population
Top 54%
By size
$106,551
Median income
$369,100
Median home
10.2%
Poverty rate

The read on Johnston

Johnston posts a median household income higher than 74% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 26%
by median income, US cities

Where Johnston income ranks nationally

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

$106,551 Top 26% higher than 74% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Johnston, IA beyond the headline numbers

Johnston sits inside Polk County, Iowa, at roughly 41.67°N, -93.70°W. Population 20,871, $106,551 median household income. Median home value $369,100, median rent $1,338. Poverty rate 10.2%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Johnston's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 34%, then short sleep duration at 31.2%.

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

Population
20,871
Johnston
Median Income
$106,551
+57% vs avg
Median Home Value
$369,100
+62% vs avg
Median Age
37.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Polk County) - Johnston'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 Johnston, IA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,338/mo
Poverty Rate
10.2% -28% vs avg
Unemployment 2.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 57.8%
Work From Home 14%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 76.6%
African American 10.6%
Asian 7.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
34%
Short Sleep Duration
31.2%
High Blood Pressure
29.3%
Binge Drinking
21.3%
Physical Inactivity
19.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
10.7%
Current Smoking
10.2%
Current Asthma
9.5%
Diabetes
8.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 73.7%
Annual Checkup 76.7%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
4.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
4.8%
Stroke
2.4%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Johnston, IA? ▼
Johnston, IA has a population of 20,871 people, located in Polk County, Iowa.
What is the median household income in Johnston? ▼
The median household income in Johnston, IA is $106,551 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 10.2%.
What is the median home value in Johnston? ▼
The median home value in Johnston, IA is $369,100. Median rent is $1,338/month.
What are the top health concerns in Johnston? ▼
The top health indicators in Johnston include Obesity (34%), Short Sleep Duration (31.2%), High Blood Pressure (29.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Johnston? ▼
The median age in Johnston, IA is 37.4 years. 57.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Johnston, IA is located in Polk County, Iowa. With a population of 21K and a $106,551 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Johnston 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

Urbandale, IA 44K Clive, IA 15K Grimes, IA 11K West Des Moines, IA 64K Ankeny, IA 57K Des Moines, IA 214K Waukee, IA 19K Norwalk, IA 10K
All cities in Iowa → Compare Johnston vs Urbandale → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Johnston'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 Johnston 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 Johnston 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.