Oelwein is a somewhat small city located in the state of Iowa. With a population of 5,834 people and two associated neighborhoods, Oelwein is the 69th largest community in Iowa. Much of the housing stock in Oelwein was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Residents will find that the city is relatively quiet. This is because it is not over-populated, and it has fewer college students, renters, and young children - all of whom can be noisy at times. So, if you're looking for a relatively peaceful place to live, Oelwein is worth considering.

Being a small city, Oelwein does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

In terms of college education, the citizens of Oelwein rank slightly lower than the national average. 13.72% of adults 25 and older in Oelwein have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 21.84% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.

The per capita income in Oelwein in 2022 was $26,500, 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 $106,000 for a family of four. However, Oelwein contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Oelwein home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Oelwein residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Oelwein include German, Irish, English, French, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Oelwein is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Polish.