Harlan is a city located in Shelby County Iowa. Harlan has a 2024 population of 4,780. It is also the county seat of Shelby County. Harlan is currently declining at a rate of -0.6% annually and its population has decreased by -2.37% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 4,896 in 2020.
The average household income in Harlan is $83,132 with a poverty rate of 10.9%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Harlan is 50.2 years, 52 years for males, and 48.7 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Harlan was:
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2,214 | 2.16 | 70.1 | 29.9 |
| Married | 1,065 | 2.91 | 82.9 | 17.1 |
| Non Family | 990 | 1.13 | 56.8 | 43.2 |
| Female | 118 | 2.9 | 59.3 | 40.7 |
| Male | 41 | 5.88 | 90.2 | 9.8 |
2.86
Average Family Size
2.16
Average Household Size
70.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among black people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 50%.
All
Male
Female
$41,243
Average Earnings
$51,798
Average Male
$34,758
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
98.18% of Harlan residents speak only English, while 1.82% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1.82% of the population.
rate
10.9%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.93%
Male Poverty Rate
12.56%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Harlan is White, with 11.82% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Harlan is Hispanic, with 6.8% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 0.4%. Among those working part-time, it was 18.32%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23.63%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
52.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
57.2%
Male Marriage Rate
48.7%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
2.39%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.23%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
58.8%
Labor Force Participation
56.7%
Employment Rate
3.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.94%
Born in Harlan
97.12%
Native Born
2.88%
Foreign Born
1.76%
Non Citizen
1.12%
Naturalized
97.12% of Harlan residents were born in the United States, with 65.94% having been born in Iowa. 1.76% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 4,635 | -29 | -0.62% |
| 2028 | 4,664 | -29 | -0.62% |
| 2027 | 4,693 | -29 | -0.61% |
| 2026 | 4,722 | -29 | -0.61% |
| 2025 | 4,751 | -29 | -0.61% |
| 2024 | 4,780 | -29 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 4,809 | -29 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 4,838 | -66 | -1.35% |
| 2021 | 4,904 | 8 | 0.16% |
| 2020 | 4,896 | 127 | 2.66% |
| 2019 | 4,769 | -52 | -1.08% |
| 2018 | 4,821 | -11 | -0.23% |
| 2017 | 4,832 | -40 | -0.82% |
| 2016 | 4,872 | -53 | -1.08% |
| 2015 | 4,925 | -49 | -0.99% |
| 2014 | 4,974 | -11 | -0.22% |
| 2013 | 4,985 | -55 | -1.09% |
| 2012 | 5,040 | 35 | 0.7% |
| 2011 | 5,005 | -77 | -1.52% |
| 2010 | 5,082 | -200 | -3.79% |
| 2000 | 5,282 | 134 | 2.6% |
| 1990 | 5,148 | -209 | -3.9% |
| 1980 | 5,357 | 308 | 6.1% |
| 1970 | 5,049 | 699 | 16.07% |
| 1960 | 4,350 | 435 | 11.11% |
| 1950 | 3,915 | 188 | 5.04% |
| 1940 | 3,727 | 582 | 18.51% |
| 1930 | 3,145 | 314 | 11.09% |
| 1920 | 2,831 | 261 | 10.16% |
| 1910 | 2,570 | 0 | 0% |