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Crawford County, IA: population growth, jobs and income

Crawford County lost 52 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.3%).

Crawford County had an estimated 16,237 residents in 2025, down 1.5% (250 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Iowa as a whole (+1.5%), and the 64th fastest growth of 99 counties in Iowa.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Crawford County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Crawford County, ranked against Iowa and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$743/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes7.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months252025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

19

2025

1.2 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 112 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 5,121 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −12.1% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.6% in 2025, 1.5 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 19 new homes in 2025, or 1.2 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $67,027 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +22.2% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,341st.

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Crawford County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202516,237−52
202416,289+159
202316,130−13
202216,143−96
202116,239−248
202016,487–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Crawford County

Crawford County lost 250 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−876).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+45+243
International migrationfrom and to other countries+16+392
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−112−876
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−1−9
Total change−52−250

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn IowaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth64th of 992,341st of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents80th of 992,716th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth94th of 992,880th of 3,092
Median household income73rd of 991,417th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate97th of 992,187th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents64th of 991,984th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Crawford County, IA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Crawford County's population change (−1.5%) was ahead of 5 of its 8 neighbouring counties and behind 3.

6 of its 8 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Crawford County's $67,027 (2020–24).

Crawford County, IA and its 8 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Crawford County, IA This county16,237−1.5%−6.91.2$67,027
Shelby County, IA11,689−0.2%−3.50.3$72,738
Ida County, IA6,777−3.4%4.90.3$63,073
Sac County, IA9,525−2.7%−9.31.5$73,838
Carroll County, IA20,303−2.0%−6.21.8$72,930
Monona County, IA8,539−2.4%7.50.8$68,377
Harrison County, IA14,623+0.4%4.71.4$79,535
Audubon County, IA5,509−3.0%−2.21.3$58,229
Woodbury County, IA106,649+0.7%−6.92.2$73,658

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 99 Iowa counties · Every state

Questions

Is Crawford County growing?

No. Its population fell 1.5% between 2020 and 2025, about 250 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Iowa as a whole changed +1.5% over the same years. That ranks 64th of 99 counties in Iowa for population growth.

How many people moved to Crawford County?

On net, none in 2025: about 112 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Crawford County?

It averaged 4.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Crawford County?

About 16,237 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Crawford County?

Private employers there had 5,121 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −12.1% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Iowa

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Iowa county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Crawford County data alerts

Email me when Crawford County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Crawford County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.