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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

Saved
PLACEStable

Blairstown, IA

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score63out of 100
Compare
46
78
0
82
100

Population

654

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+1.0% YoY

46

$1.1B

Output changed +1.0% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

78

2.9%

Unemployment is 2.9% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

-13.1% 5-year

0

654

Population moved -13.1% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population3,210,507
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

82

12.6%

Median rent consumes 12.6% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$972
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$8.2K per resident

100

$208.7M

$208.7M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$36.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$208.7M

$8.2K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$147.8M
2. Department of Agriculture$30.2M
3. Department of Veterans Affairs$12.4M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. REDACTED DUE TO PII$29.6M
2. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.1M
3. EASTERN IOWA HEALTH CENTER$1.7M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

12.6%

of median income

1BR estimate$681
2BR estimate$897
Median income$79,375
Median home value$175,000

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

654

Median age

37.5

Bachelor's degree+

15.8%

Poverty rate

12.5%

Labor force participation

74.5%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-2.8%

GDP CAGR

+4.8%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020753
2021726
2022705
2023652
2024654
GDP (5 years)
2020$900.1M
2021$1.1B
2022$1.1B
2023$1.1B
2024$1.1B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024654
2025616 *
2026589 *

R² = 93.5% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$1.1B
2025$1.2B *
2026$1.3B *

R² = 68.6% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$79,375/yr
Median rent$831/mo
Rent share of income12.6%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$10,619/yr
Mortgage share of income13.4%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate2.9%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation74.5%
Poverty rate12.5%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$175,000
Median monthly rent$831
Price-to-rent ratio17.5x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score49/100
Economic growth46/100
Labor market78/100
Population momentum0/100
Overall stability63/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Blairstown city, Iowa

City/Town

Part of

Cedar Rapids, IA

Nearby locations

Luzerne, IAWatkins, IAVan Horne, IAMarengo, IANorway, IA