Ottumwa, IA Demographics

A map of Ottumwa's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	17,541	18,163	69.0%	71.1%
Hispanic	4,356	4,013	17.1%	15.7%
Black	1,023	1,347	4.0%	5.3%
Multiracial	1,013	814	4.0%	3.2%
Native American/Other	918	621	3.6%	2.4%
Asian	579	571	2.3%	2.2%

Ottumwa, Iowa has an estimated population of 25,430, a less than 1% change from the 25,529 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 69.0% White, 17.1% Hispanic, 4.0% Black, 4.0% Multiracial, 3.6% Native American/Other, and 2.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ottumwa, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ottumwa has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Ottumwa, that probability was 46.4% in 2020 and 49.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ottumwa is ranked the 19th 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). Ottumwa was ranked the 18th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Ottumwa's White Population

17,541 residents of Ottumwa, or 69.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ottumwa is considerably lower than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Ottumwa ranks 995th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's White population has declined by an estimated 3.4%. White residents' share of Ottumwa's population has decreased from 71.1% to 69.0%.

Ottumwa is less White than neighboring Agency (91.5% White), Chillicothe (86.7% White), Kirkville (98.1% White), Floris (90.6% White), and Hedrick (91.7% White).

Ottumwa's Black Population

1,023 residents of Ottumwa, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ottumwa is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Ottumwa ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's Black population has declined by an estimated 24.1%. Black residents' share of Ottumwa's population has decreased from 5.3% to 4.0%.

Ottumwa is more Black than neighboring Agency (0% Black), Chillicothe (0% Black), Kirkville (1.5% Black), Floris (0% Black), and Hedrick (0% Black).

Ottumwa's Asian Population

579 residents of Ottumwa, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ottumwa is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Ottumwa ranks 55th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's Asian population has grown by an estimated 1.4%. Asian residents' share of Ottumwa's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.3%.

Ottumwa is more Asian than neighboring Agency (0% Asian), Chillicothe (0% Asian), Kirkville (0% Asian), Floris (0% Asian), and Hedrick (0% Asian).

Ottumwa's Hispanic Population

4,356 residents of Ottumwa, or 17.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ottumwa is higher than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Ottumwa ranks 46th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Ottumwa's population has increased from 15.7% to 17.1%.

Ottumwa is more Hispanic than neighboring Agency (5.3% Hispanic), Chillicothe (3.6% Hispanic), Kirkville (0% Hispanic), Floris (6.3% Hispanic), and Hedrick (0.5% Hispanic).

Ottumwa's Native American/Other Population

918 residents of Ottumwa, or 3.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ottumwa is slightly higher than in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Ottumwa ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 47.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ottumwa's population has increased from 2.4% to 3.6%.

Ottumwa is more Native American/Other than neighboring Agency (0% Native American/Other), Chillicothe (0% Native American/Other), Kirkville (0% Native American/Other), Floris (0% Native American/Other), and Hedrick (0% Native American/Other).

Ottumwa's Multiracial Population

1,013 residents of Ottumwa, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ottumwa is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Ottumwa ranks 369th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ottumwa's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 24.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Ottumwa's population has increased from 3.2% to 4.0%.

Ottumwa is more Multiracial than neighboring Agency (3.2% Multiracial), Kirkville (0.4% Multiracial), and Floris (3.1% Multiracial). Ottumwa is less Multiracial than neighboring Chillicothe (9.6% Multiracial), and Hedrick (7.8% 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.