Oelwein, IA Demographics

A map of Oelwein's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	5,344	5,257	91.6%	88.8%
Multiracial	311	279	5.3%	4.7%
Hispanic	78	254	1.3%	4.3%
Asian	54	24	0.9%	0.4%
Native American/Other	40	22	0.7%	0.4%
Black	7	84	0.1%	1.4%

Oelwein, Iowa has an estimated population of 5,834, a slight decrease from the 5,920 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.6% White, 5.3% Multiracial, 1.3% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian, 0.7% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Oelwein, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Oelwein has become 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 Oelwein, that probability was 20.7% in 2020 and 15.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Oelwein is ranked the 69th 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). Oelwein was ranked the 67th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Oelwein's White Population

5,344 residents of Oelwein, or 91.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Oelwein is higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Oelwein ranks 800th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's White population has grown by an estimated 1.7%. White residents' share of Oelwein's population has increased from 88.8% to 91.6%.

Oelwein is more White than neighboring Hazleton (80.8% White), Stanley (73.9% White), Westgate (86.5% White), and Fairbank (90% White). Oelwein is less White than neighboring Maynard (94.3% White).

Oelwein's Black Population

7 residents of Oelwein, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Oelwein is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Oelwein ranks 144th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's Black population has declined by an estimated 91.7%. Black residents' share of Oelwein's population has decreased from 1.4% to 0.1%.

Oelwein is less Black than neighboring Hazleton (1.5% Black), Stanley (5.8% Black), Maynard (1.1% Black), Westgate (7.9% Black), and Fairbank (0.3% Black).

Oelwein's Asian Population

54 residents of Oelwein, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Oelwein is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Oelwein ranks 331st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's Asian population has grown by an estimated 125.0%. Asian residents' share of Oelwein's population has increased from 0.4% to 0.9%.

Oelwein is more Asian than neighboring Hazleton (0.6% Asian), Stanley (0% Asian), Maynard (0% Asian), Westgate (0% Asian), and Fairbank (0% Asian).

Oelwein's Hispanic Population

78 residents of Oelwein, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Oelwein is lower than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Oelwein ranks 265th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 69.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Oelwein's population has decreased from 4.3% to 1.3%.

Oelwein is more Hispanic than neighboring Westgate (0% Hispanic), and Fairbank (0% Hispanic). Oelwein is less Hispanic than neighboring Hazleton (2.1% Hispanic), Stanley (17.4% Hispanic), and Maynard (2.3% Hispanic).

Oelwein's Native American/Other Population

40 residents of Oelwein, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Oelwein is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Oelwein ranks 440th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 81.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Oelwein's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Oelwein is more Native American/Other than neighboring Stanley (0% Native American/Other), Maynard (0.6% Native American/Other), Westgate (0% Native American/Other), and Fairbank (0.5% Native American/Other).

Oelwein's Multiracial Population

311 residents of Oelwein, or 5.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Oelwein is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Oelwein ranks 142nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Oelwein's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 11.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Oelwein's population has increased from 4.7% to 5.3%.

Oelwein is more Multiracial than neighboring Stanley (2.9% Multiracial), and Maynard (1.7% Multiracial). Oelwein is less Multiracial than neighboring Hazleton (14.3% Multiracial), Westgate (5.6% Multiracial), and Fairbank (9.3% 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.