Whitest cities in Iowa research summary. We analyzed Iowa’s most recent Census data to determine the whitest cities in Iowa based on the percentage of White residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
The whitest city in Iowa is Clear Lake based on the most recent Census data.
Clear Lake is 94.79% White.
The least White city in Iowa is Storm Lake.
Storm Lake is 33.07% White.
Iowa is 82.3% White.
Iowa is the 6th Whitest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Today, we are looking at the whitest places in Iowa. We won’t measure the number of Whole Foods or Pottery Barns per capita. Instead, we’ll focus on the Census data’s report of race by place in Iowa. In particular, we ranked each place in Iowa by the percentage of white people.
So where are the whitest cities you can live in Iowa?
After analyzing cities with populations greater than 5,000, we came up with this list as the whitest cities in Iowa for 2026.
Here are the 10 whites places in Iowa for 2026:
What is the whitest city in Iowa for 2026? According to the most recent census data Clear Lake ranks as the whitest. If you’re wondering, Storm Lake is the least white city of all those we measured.
Read on below to see where your hometown ranked and why. Or check out the whitest states in America and the most diverse states in America.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Whitest Cities In Iowa For 2026
/10
Population: 7,607
% White: 94.79%
More on Clear Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,416
% White: 94.24%
More on Winterset: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 6,164
% White: 94.0%
More on Independence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,720
% White: 93.66%
More on Pella: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 6,763
% White: 93.38%
More on Atlantic: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,473
% White: 93.04%
More on Knoxville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 14,183
% White: 92.61%
More on Norwalk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,435
% White: 92.19%
More on Creston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 16,044
% White: 91.77%
More on Indianola: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,834
% White: 91.6%
More on Oelwein: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we determined the whitest places in Iowa for 2026
To rank the whitest places in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science to look at Census demographic data.
We had to look at the number of white people living in each city in Iowa on a per capita basis. In other words, the percentage of white people living in each city in Iowa.
We looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as White alone.
We limited our analysis to town with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 76 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are White. The percentages ranked from 94.8% to 33.1%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of White population, with a higher score being more White than a lower score. Clear Lake took the distinction of being the most White, while Storm Lake was the least White city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report represents our eleventh time ranking the whitest cities in Iowa.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Iowa ranked by population of White residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: White Populations Across Iowa
We measured the locations with the highest percentage of white people in Iowa. According to the most recent data, this list provides accurate information on the whitest places in Iowa.
The most White cities in Iowa are Clear Lake, Winterset, Independence, Pella, Atlantic, Knoxville, Norwalk, Creston, Indianola, and Oelwein.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least White places in Iowa:
- Storm Lake
- Denison
- Marshalltown
For more Iowa reading, check out:
White Population By City In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | White Population | % White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear Lake | 7,607 | 7,211 | 94.79% |
| 2 | Winterset | 5,416 | 5,104 | 94.24% |
| 3 | Independence | 6,164 | 5,794 | 94.0% |
| 4 | Pella | 10,720 | 10,040 | 93.66% |
| 5 | Atlantic | 6,763 | 6,315 | 93.38% |
| 6 | Knoxville | 7,473 | 6,953 | 93.04% |
| 7 | Norwalk | 14,183 | 13,135 | 92.61% |
| 8 | Creston | 7,435 | 6,854 | 92.19% |
| 9 | Indianola | 16,044 | 14,723 | 91.77% |
| 10 | Oelwein | 5,834 | 5,344 | 91.6% |
| 11 | Boone | 12,424 | 11,361 | 91.44% |
| 12 | Manchester | 5,191 | 4,736 | 91.23% |
| 13 | Glenwood | 5,144 | 4,659 | 90.57% |
| 14 | Cedar Falls | 40,888 | 37,031 | 90.57% |
| 15 | Spencer | 11,400 | 10,305 | 90.39% |
| 16 | Decorah | 7,535 | 6,769 | 89.83% |
| 17 | Carroll | 10,208 | 9,167 | 89.8% |
| 18 | Centerville | 5,372 | 4,809 | 89.52% |
| 19 | Maquoketa | 6,075 | 5,437 | 89.5% |
| 20 | Oskaloosa | 11,504 | 10,292 | 89.46% |
| 21 | Waverly | 10,494 | 9,367 | 89.26% |
| 22 | Eldridge | 6,818 | 6,071 | 89.04% |
| 23 | Red Oak | 5,510 | 4,888 | 88.71% |
| 24 | Iowa Falls | 5,038 | 4,444 | 88.21% |
| 25 | Anamosa | 5,629 | 4,961 | 88.13% |
| 26 | Fort Madison | 10,133 | 8,905 | 87.88% |
| 27 | Marion | 41,896 | 36,526 | 87.18% |
| 28 | Keokuk | 9,662 | 8,328 | 86.19% |
| 29 | Grinnell | 9,505 | 8,186 | 86.12% |
| 30 | Algona | 5,377 | 4,629 | 86.09% |
| 31 | Newton | 15,700 | 13,514 | 86.08% |
| 32 | Ankeny | 72,615 | 62,213 | 85.68% |
| 33 | Charles City | 7,232 | 6,190 | 85.59% |
| 34 | Clinton | 24,322 | 20,815 | 85.58% |
| 35 | Orange City | 6,426 | 5,494 | 85.5% |
| 36 | Dubuque | 59,174 | 50,498 | 85.34% |
| 37 | Cherokee | 5,154 | 4,395 | 85.27% |
| 38 | Pleasant Hill | 11,136 | 9,496 | 85.27% |
| 39 | Washington | 7,290 | 6,196 | 84.99% |
| 40 | Mason City | 27,050 | 22,976 | 84.94% |
| 41 | Nevada | 6,983 | 5,892 | 84.38% |
| 42 | Clarinda | 5,353 | 4,502 | 84.1% |
| 43 | Sioux Center | 8,454 | 7,038 | 83.25% |
| 44 | Estherville | 5,839 | 4,786 | 81.97% |
| 45 | Altoona | 21,495 | 17,569 | 81.74% |
| 46 | Grimes | 16,366 | 13,353 | 81.59% |
| 47 | Le Mars | 10,640 | 8,654 | 81.33% |
| 48 | Council Bluffs | 62,586 | 50,840 | 81.23% |
| 49 | Burlington | 23,728 | 19,192 | 80.88% |
| 50 | Bettendorf | 39,647 | 31,890 | 80.43% |
| 51 | Fort Dodge | 24,827 | 19,759 | 79.59% |
| 52 | Urbandale | 46,595 | 36,994 | 79.39% |
| 53 | North Liberty | 21,125 | 16,739 | 79.24% |
| 54 | Mount Pleasant | 8,951 | 7,060 | 78.87% |
| 55 | Clive | 19,012 | 14,859 | 78.16% |
| 56 | Cedar Rapids | 137,264 | 106,383 | 77.5% |
| 57 | West Des Moines | 71,083 | 54,992 | 77.36% |
| 58 | Ames | 67,669 | 51,976 | 76.81% |
| 59 | Webster City | 7,769 | 5,942 | 76.48% |
| 60 | Waukee | 29,236 | 22,337 | 76.4% |
| 61 | Sheldon | 5,474 | 4,161 | 76.01% |
| 62 | Fairfield | 9,456 | 7,183 | 75.96% |
| 63 | Johnston | 24,384 | 18,505 | 75.89% |
| 64 | Hiawatha | 7,206 | 5,131 | 71.2% |
| 65 | Davenport | 100,913 | 71,824 | 71.17% |
| 66 | Muscatine | 23,489 | 16,559 | 70.5% |
| 67 | Iowa City | 75,752 | 53,334 | 70.41% |
| 68 | Ottumwa | 25,430 | 17,541 | 68.98% |
| 69 | Coralville | 23,234 | 15,498 | 66.7% |
| 70 | Waterloo | 67,008 | 43,880 | 65.48% |
| 71 | Sioux City | 86,101 | 53,181 | 61.77% |
| 72 | Perry | 7,985 | 4,920 | 61.62% |
| 73 | Des Moines | 212,421 | 129,545 | 60.99% |
| 74 | Marshalltown | 27,626 | 14,935 | 54.06% |
| 75 | Denison | 8,260 | 3,540 | 42.86% |
| 76 | Storm Lake | 11,428 | 3,779 | 33.07% |