Wadena, IA Demographics

A map of Wadena's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	160	194	90.4%	92.8%
Native American/Other	12	2	6.8%	1.0%
Multiracial	4	10	2.3%	4.8%
Asian	1	0	0.6%	0.0%
Black	0	1	0.0%	0.5%
Hispanic	0	2	0.0%	1.0%

Wadena, Iowa has an estimated population of 177, a large decrease from the 209 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.4% White, 6.8% Native American/Other, 2.3% Multiracial, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Black, and 0.0% Hispanic. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wadena, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wadena has become more 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 Wadena, that probability was 13.6% in 2020 and 17.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wadena is ranked the 726th 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). Wadena was ranked the 671st most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Wadena's White Population

160 residents of Wadena, or 90.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wadena is higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Wadena ranks 525th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's White population has declined by an estimated 17.5%. White residents' share of Wadena's population has decreased from 92.8% to 90.4%.

Wadena is more White than neighboring Arlington (85.7% White), Volga (82.9% White), and Fayette (81.5% White). Wadena is less White than neighboring Elgin (95.2% White), and Clermont (98.1% White).

Wadena's Black Population

0 residents of Wadena, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wadena is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Wadena ranks 391st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's Black population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Black residents' share of Wadena's population has decreased from 0.5% to 0.0%.

Wadena is less Black than neighboring Elgin (0.7% Black), and Fayette (6.6% Black).

Wadena's Asian Population

1 residents of Wadena, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wadena is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Wadena ranks 543rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's Asian population has grown from 0 to an estimated 1. Asian residents' share of Wadena's population has increased from 0.0% to 0.6%.

Wadena is more Asian than neighboring Arlington (0% Asian), Elgin (0% Asian), and Clermont (0% Asian). Wadena is less Asian than neighboring Volga (17.1% Asian), and Fayette (2.4% Asian).

Wadena's Hispanic Population

0 residents of Wadena, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wadena is lower than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Wadena ranks 839th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Wadena's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.0%.

Wadena is less Hispanic than neighboring Arlington (9.6% Hispanic), Elgin (0.7% Hispanic), and Fayette (2.5% Hispanic).

Wadena's Native American/Other Population

12 residents of Wadena, or 6.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wadena is higher than in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Wadena ranks 148th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 500.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wadena's population has increased from 1.0% to 6.8%.

Wadena is more Native American/Other than neighboring Arlington (0% Native American/Other), Elgin (0% Native American/Other), Volga (0% Native American/Other), Fayette (2.8% Native American/Other), and Clermont (0% Native American/Other).

Wadena's Multiracial Population

4 residents of Wadena, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wadena is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Wadena ranks 134th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wadena's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 60.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Wadena's population has decreased from 4.8% to 2.3%.

Wadena is more Multiracial than neighboring Volga (0% Multiracial), and Clermont (1.9% Multiracial). Wadena is less Multiracial than neighboring Arlington (4.7% Multiracial), Elgin (3.4% Multiracial), and Fayette (4.1% 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.