West Union is a very small city located in the state of Iowa. With a population of 2,435 people and just one neighborhood, West Union is the 221st largest community in Iowa. West Union has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities.
Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, West Union is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, West Union is a city of service providers, construction workers and builders, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in West Union who work in office and administrative support (13.71%), healthcare suport services (10.46%), and management occupations (8.75%).
West Union’s overall crime rate ranks among the lowest in the nation, making it a very safe place to live.
West Union is a small city, and as such doesn't have a public transit system that people use to get to and from their jobs every day.
The citizens of West Union are slightly better educated than the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns, with 23.64% of adults in West Union having a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.
The per capita income in West Union in 2022 was $29,792, which is low income relative to Iowa, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $119,168 for a family of four. However, West Union contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
West Union is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call West Union home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of West Union residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in West Union include German, Norwegian, Irish, Swiss, and English.
The most common language spoken in West Union is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.
The way a neighborhood looks and feels when you walk or drive around it, from its setting, its buildings, and its flavor, can make all the difference. This neighborhood has some really cool things about the way it looks and feels as revealed by NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research. This might include anything from the housing stock to the types of households living here to how people get around.
Of particular note, 3.2% of the people in the neighborhood currently reside in a correction facility, held due to punishment for a crime.
In addition, if you are planning to retire in Iowa, this neighborhood should be on your must-see list. For many reasons, may be considered a retiree's dream neighborhood. According to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and metrics, it's peaceful and quiet, has above average safety from crime compared to other neighborhoods in Iowa, while also offering a diverse range of housing options. This, along with the vibrant mix of very educated seniors and other age groups who choose to live here, makes the neighborhood more retiree-friendly than 95.9% of neighborhoods in IA. If a Iowa retirement is in your future, this neighborhood should be one of the places you visit. In addition to being an excellent choice for active retirees, this neighborhood is also a very good choice for college students.
Did you know that the neighborhood has more Norwegian and Swiss ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 28.0% of this neighborhood's residents have Norwegian ancestry and 5.3% have Swiss ancestry.
How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.
The neighbors in the neighborhood in West Union are lower-middle income, making it a below average income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's research shows that this neighborhood has an income lower than 79.6% of U.S. neighborhoods. With 20.5% of the children here below the federal poverty line, this neighborhood has a higher rate of childhood poverty than 70.7% of U.S. neighborhoods.
A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.
In the neighborhood, 29.7% of the working population is employed in executive, management, and professional occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is manufacturing and laborer occupations, with 28.9% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations (23.2%), and 17.0% in sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants.
The languages spoken by people in this neighborhood are diverse. These are tabulated as the languages people preferentially speak when they are at home with their families. The most common language spoken in the neighborhood is English, spoken by 88.0% of households. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish, Polish and Chinese.
Boston's Beacon Hill blue-blood streets, Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish enclaves, Los Angeles' Persian neighborhoods. Each has its own culture derived primarily from the ancestries and culture of the residents who call these neighborhoods home. Likewise, each neighborhood in America has its own culture – some more unique than others – based on lifestyle, occupations, the types of households – and importantly – on the ethnicities and ancestries of the people who live in the neighborhood. Understanding where people came from, who their grandparents or great-grandparents were, can help you understand how a neighborhood is today.
In the neighborhood in West Union, IA, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as German (40.1%). There are also a number of people of Norwegian ancestry (28.0%), and residents who report Irish roots (12.4%), and some of the residents are also of Swiss ancestry (5.3%), along with some English ancestry residents (4.4%), among others.
Even if your neighborhood is walkable, you may still have to drive to your place of work. Some neighborhoods are located where many can get to work in just a few minutes, while others are located such that most residents have a long and arduous commute. The greatest number of commuters in neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (48.4% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.
Here most residents (85.8%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In addition, quite a number also carpool with coworkers, friends, or neighbors to get to work (5.1%) . In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.