Harlan, IA Demographics

A map of Harlan's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,424	4,404	90.5%	90.0%
Hispanic	234	225	4.8%	4.6%
Multiracial	171	158	3.5%	3.2%
Black	32	40	0.7%	0.8%
Native American/Other	30	23	0.6%	0.5%
Asian	0	43	0.0%	0.9%

Harlan, Iowa has an estimated population of 4,891, a less than 1% change from the 4,893 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.5% White, 4.8% Hispanic, 3.5% Multiracial, 0.7% Black, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Harlan, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Harlan has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Iowa overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Harlan, that probability was 18.7% in 2020 and 17.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Harlan is ranked the 89th most populous place in Iowa, out of 1,026 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Harlan was ranked the 88th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Harlan's White Population

4,424 residents of Harlan, or 90.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Harlan is higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Harlan ranks 744th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Harlan's population has increased from 90.0% to 90.5%.

Harlan is more White than neighboring Corley (0% White). Harlan is less White than neighboring Westphalia (100% White), Kirkman (93.1% White), Tennant (96.4% White), and Earling (92.7% White).

Harlan's Black Population

32 residents of Harlan, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Harlan is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Harlan ranks 245th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's Black population has declined by an estimated 20.0%. Black residents' share of Harlan's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Harlan is more Black than neighboring Corley (0% Black), Westphalia (0% Black), Kirkman (0% Black), and Tennant (0% Black). Harlan is less Black than neighboring Earling (0.8% Black).

Harlan's Asian Population

0 residents of Harlan, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Harlan is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Harlan ranks 160th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's Asian population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Asian residents' share of Harlan's population has decreased from 0.9% to 0.0%.

Harlan's Hispanic Population

234 residents of Harlan, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Harlan is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Harlan ranks 248th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Harlan's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.8%.

Harlan is more Hispanic than neighboring Corley (0% Hispanic), Westphalia (0% Hispanic), and Tennant (0% Hispanic). Harlan is less Hispanic than neighboring Kirkman (6.9% Hispanic), and Earling (5.4% Hispanic).

Harlan's Native American/Other Population

30 residents of Harlan, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Harlan is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Harlan ranks 357th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 30.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Harlan's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Harlan is more Native American/Other than neighboring Corley (0% Native American/Other), Westphalia (0% Native American/Other), Kirkman (0% Native American/Other), Tennant (0% Native American/Other), and Earling (0% Native American/Other).

Harlan's Multiracial Population

171 residents of Harlan, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Harlan is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Harlan ranks 356th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Harlan's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 8.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Harlan's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Harlan is more Multiracial than neighboring Corley (0% Multiracial), Westphalia (0% Multiracial), Kirkman (0% Multiracial), and Earling (1% Multiracial). Harlan is less Multiracial than neighboring Tennant (3.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.