Total enrollment
18,224
+36 (+0%) vs SY 2017-18
Black Hawk County
Iowa · Public K-12
Black Hawk County's public schools, 35 in all, serve approximately 18,224 K-12 students inside Iowa, with Waterloo Comm School District the largest district by enrollment. That works out to 21 elementary, 6 middle, and 7 high schools.
7-year change in Black Hawk County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
34
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
58%
was 63%
% Hispanic
10%
was 8%
% Black
18%
was 18%
% Asian
3%
was 3%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
35
5 districts
Enrollment
18,224
NCES CCD
Median income
$66,417
Below Iowa avg
Free/reduced lunch
51.5%
Above Iowa avg
Elementary
21
9,233 students
Middle
6
3,535 students
High
7
5,456 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Waterloo Comm School District
10,484 students · 5 districts in Black Hawk County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Black Hawk County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
30.3%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
9.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.6%
civilian labor
Median age
36
21.9% under 18
Test scores in Black Hawk County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 33 schools ranked. Iowa state average: 73.7%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Holmes Junior High School· 91.0%
- Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary· 90.5%
- Helen A Hansen Elementary School· 90.4%
- Peet Junior High School· 88.6%
- Hudson High School· 87.1%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Cunningham School· 36.5%
- Highland Elementary School· 47.0%
- Fred Becker Elementary School· 50.8%
- Central Middle School· 51.3%
- Lowell Elementary School· 52.1%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Waterloo | High | 09-12 | 1,696 | · |
| Cedar Falls High School | Cedar Falls | High | 10-12 | 1,333 | · |
| East High School | Waterloo | High | 09-12 | 1,016 | · |
| Hoover Middle School | Waterloo | Middle | 06-08 | 848 | · |
| Peet Junior High School | Cedar Falls | Middle | 07-09 | 695 | · |
| Holmes Junior High School | Cedar Falls | Middle | 07-09 | 628 | · |
| Kittrell Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 576 | · |
| Helen A Hansen Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 569 | · |
| Hudson Elementary School | Hudson | Elementary | PK-06 | 562 | · |
| Expo Alternative Learning Center | Waterloo | High | 06-12 | 561 | · |
| Southdale Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 539 | · |
| Lowell Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 538 | · |
| Orange Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 518 | · |
| Fred Becker Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 501 | · |
| Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 472 | · |
| Central Middle School | Waterloo | Middle | 06-08 | 469 | · |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 463 | · |
| Lou Henry Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | KG-05 | 460 | · |
| Orchard Hill Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 458 | · |
| George Washington Carver Academy | Waterloo | Middle | 06-08 | 455 | · |
| Cedar Heights Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 451 | · |
| Highland Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 448 | · |
| Cunningham School | Waterloo | Elementary | PK-05 | 443 | · |
| Bunger Middle School | Evansdale | Middle | 06-08 | 440 | · |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 416 | · |
| Hudson High School | Hudson | High | 07-12 | 371 | · |
| Poyner Elementary | Evansdale | Elementary | PK-05 | 362 | · |
| Irving Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | KG-05 | 353 | · |
| Kingsley Elementary School | Waterloo | Elementary | KG-05 | 337 | · |
| North Cedar Elementary School | Cedar Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 292 | · |
| Union High School | La Porte City | High | 09-12 | 279 | · |
| La Porte City Elementary School | La Porte City | Elementary | PK-05 | 260 | · |
| Dunkerton Elementary | Dunkerton | Elementary | PK-05 | 215 | · |
| Dunkerton High School | Dunkerton | High | 06-12 | 200 | · |
| Cedar Falls Virtual Campus | Cedar Falls | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Black Hawk County
About Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County is an average-sized county of about 131,049 residents in Iowa. Its public-school system hosts approximately 18,224 students across 35 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $66,417 a year, about 30% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 7% below the Iowa median.
Looking at the level breakdown, Black Hawk County consists of 21 elementary schools (9,233 students), 6 middle schools (3,535), 7 high schools (5,456), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Black Hawk County is Waterloo Comm School District, which alone enrolls about 10,484 students.
Looking at the last 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 18,224 students, stayed largely flat from the 18,188 reported in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 63% to 58% over the same window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Black Hawk County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Black Hawk County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data