Map the Block › Places › Iowa › Council Bluffs
What are the crime rate and median income in Council Bluffs, IA?
FBI figures for 2025 show 5.3 violent crimes per 1,000 people in Council Bluffs, about 2.2 times the rate across Iowa (2.3). Median household income is $64,578 and the median home value is $171,800. Population: about 62,586 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Council Bluffs?
In 2025 the Council Bluffs Police Department reported 329 violent crimes to the FBI, which works out to 5.3 per 1,000 people. That is about 2.2 times the Iowa rate (2.3), and 60% higher than the national rate (3.3). Its murder count for the year was 2. Property crime came to 1,386 offenses (22.1 per 1,000; Iowa: 11.7). Compared with 2021, when 224 were reported, the count is up 47%.
| Offense (2025) | Council Bluffs count | Per 1,000 | Iowa per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 329 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 65 | 1.0 | 0.36 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 35 | 0.56 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 227 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 1,386 | 22.1 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 218 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 954 | 15.2 | 8.8 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 214 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Council Bluffs changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 224 | 2,127 | 0 |
| 2022 | 262 | 1,867 | 1 |
| 2023 | 279 | 1,907 | 2 |
| 2024 | 262 | 1,527 | 2 |
| 2025 | 329 | 1,386 | 2 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Council Bluffs Police Department's own reports.
How does Council Bluffs compare with Iowa?
Council Bluffs's median household earns $64,578 a year, 14% lower than the state figure ($75,059). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $171,800, and half of renters pay more than $1,030 a month. About 62,586 people live on 43 square miles of land, roughly 1,457 per square mile. The city lies in Pottawattamie County and Douglas County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Council Bluffs | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,586 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $64,578 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $171,800 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,030 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.1% | 11.1% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 31.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 63.1% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 38.6 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Council Bluffs?
Pottawattamie County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Council Bluffs?
No highway work zones were listed in Council Bluffs city limits in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Council Bluffs?
Inside the city limits there are 18 public schools (2024-25) and 3 private schools (2023-24). 4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: 3 state parks or recreation areas: Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, Lake Manawa State Park and Wilson Island State Recreation Area.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Council Bluffs
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the Council Bluffs city limits, plus 4 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 2 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World 030 (Council Bluffs), Ezpawn (Council Bluffs), Metro Pawn & Loan (Council Bluffs) and Walmart #1965 (Council Bluffs).
Liquor stores
2 liquor stores are on the map inside the Council Bluffs city limits: I 80 Liquor (Council Bluffs) and West Broadway Wine and Spirits (Council Bluffs). Iowa has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Council Bluffs city limits on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Council Bluffs?
In 2025, Council Bluffs had 5.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (329 reported), about 2.2 times the Iowa rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 22.1 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Council Bluffs?
$64,578 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $75,059 for Iowa.
How much do homes cost in Council Bluffs?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $171,800 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $208,000 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Council Bluffs?
Pottawattamie County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Bellevue, NE (8 mi) · Omaha, NE (11 mi) · Lincoln, NE (52 mi) · Sioux City, IA (91 mi) · West Des Moines, IA (110 mi) · St. Joseph, MO (116 mi)
More: Iowa statewide numbers · county pages: Pottawattamie County and Douglas County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Council Bluffs city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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