Higher Education in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area as reported in the 2005 American Community Survey, 24.4 percent of the White Alone, 9.4 percent of Black or African American, . percent of the Asian alone and . percent of the Hispanic or Latino population (over 25) has obtained a Bachelors Degree or Higher.

From the years 2000 to 2005, the proportion of the male population that could be considered highly educated has increased by 1.4 percent. As reported in 2005, 24.4 percent of area's male population, over the age 25, achieved a Bachelors Degree or Higher. At the same time, the percent of women, over the age 25, holding at least a Bachelors Degree has increased by a total of 1.2 percent. By the year 2005, a total of 23.8 percent of the female population having received at least a Bachelors Degree.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area is made up of a moderately-educated 2005 population, with 24 percent of the over 25 years old population having a Bachelors Degree or Higher, according to the 2005 American Community Survey. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls MSA was reported to have a higher percent of highly educated individuals than the State of Iowa's proportion of 23.8 percent and a lower percent than the average across the nation of 27.2 percent.

From 2000, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area has increased in the population percent with a Bachelors of Higher. This population percent has grown by 1.0 percent to a total of 24 percent in 2005, according to the American Community Survey. The 2005 proportion of highly educated population is greater than the State of Iowa percent of 23.8 and less than the national percent of 27.2.

Reported by the 2005 American Community Survey in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area, the largest educational attainment category for men is the High School Diploma category, with 36.8 percent achieving this level. The female population in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area have attainment on average a lower level of higher education (Bachelors or Higher) than the men in the area: 24.4 percent (Men) versus 23.8 percent (Women). The most common level of education for women in the area is High School Diploma category, with 34.2 percent of the female population achieving this education level.

Datasource: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2000 Decennial Census. 2005 American Community Survey.

Demographic Profile for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

When measuring the total land area, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area spans a total of 1508 square miles. The land areas has a medium-low average area density of 107 persons per square mile, in 2005. Similar metro areas, in terms of density, in the US include: -- more densely populated -- Salt Lake City (108 per sq. mile ), Rochester (109 per sq. mile ), Champaign-Urbana (112 per sq. mile ), -- less densely populated -- Lawton (105 per sq. mile ), Fort Collins-Loveland (105 per sq. mile ), St Cloud (103 per sq. mile ).

In 2005, the Census Bureau estimated the median age in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area to be 36.9 years old. The median in Waterloo-Cedar Falls is less than the median in Iowa of 38.6. From 2000, the area has seen an increase in this median, when at that time it was 34.4 years old. With a total of 20.6 percent of the 2005 population being made up of children and youth younger than 18, Waterloo-Cedar Falls can be understood as being made up of a medium-low percent of individuals under 18. The working age population group (18-64) has a medium-high presence of the 2005 population base, with 64.5 percent of the population falling in this age category. The retirement (65 and over) group makes up 14.9 percent of the population. When compared to other metro areas in the United States, this represents a medium-low proportion of the area population base.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a population that is comprised of 89.7 percent White, 6.1 percent African American, 1 percent Asian, and 2.1 percent Hispanic. This area can be considered to have a modest level of diversity, with 9.2 percent of the population made up of minorities. This is greater than the State of Iowa percent of 7.3. Since 2000, Waterloo-Cedar Falls has increased the percent of minority makeup when 8.7 percent of the total population were minorities.

Estimated since the year 2000, a high amount of people migrated into the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area, with 2,241 people migrating in internationally. The international migration into Waterloo-Cedar Falls makes up 7.6 percent of immigration into the State of Iowa. This percent of immigration can be considered high when compared to international migration per 2005 population.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area had a total estimated population of 161,897 for the year 2005. The total population has decreased, since its 2000 population of 163,579. The decline denotes a decrease of -1 percent. Waterloo-Cedar Falls ranks 8 of 8 MSAs in terms of population growth in Iowa and the metro area ranks 329 of 361 metro areas by growth in MSA population in the United States.

Datasource: Population Estimates Program, U.S. Bureau of the Census.