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Iowa County, IA: population growth, jobs and income

Iowa County gained 30 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.2%).

Iowa County had an estimated 16,504 residents in 2025, down 1.0% (161 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Iowa as a whole (+1.5%), and the 51st fastest growth of 99 counties in Iowa.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Iowa County report

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

  • Median gross rent$686/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes6.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months132025-10/2026-09
  • 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

9

2025

0.5 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 added 33 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 7,366 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −12.8% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.8% in 2025, 1.4 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 9 new homes in 2025, or 0.5 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $71,223 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +13.7% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,177th.

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Email me when Iowa 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 Iowa 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.

Iowa County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202516,504+30
202416,474+43
202316,431−83
202216,514−92
202116,606−59
202016,665–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Iowa County

Iowa County lost 161 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−82).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−3−80
International migrationfrom and to other countries+0−3
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+33−82
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0+4
Total change+30−161

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 growth51st of 992,177th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents33rd of 991,554th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth95th of 992,904th of 3,092
Median household income50th of 991,105th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate77th of 991,275th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents85th of 992,392nd 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 Iowa 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.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Linn County and Johnson County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Iowa County's population change (−1.0%) was ahead of 3 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 4.

4 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Iowa County's $71,223 (2020–24).

Iowa County, IA and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Iowa County, IA This county16,504−1.0%2.00.5$71,223
Keokuk County, IA9,797−2.0%3.20.1$62,329
Benton County, IA26,004+1.8%5.01.1$86,962
Poweshiek County, IA18,368−1.4%−2.02.4$67,391
Johnson County, IA160,044+4.6%−1.17.8$74,935
Washington County, IA22,667+0.6%1.91.1$75,647
Linn County, IA232,028+0.7%2.74.1$77,649
Tama County, IA16,796−1.5%−1.80.3$70,781

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 Iowa County growing?

No. Its population fell 1.0% between 2020 and 2025, about 161 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Iowa as a whole changed +1.5% over the same years. That ranks 51st of 99 counties in Iowa for population growth.

How many people moved to Iowa County?

On net, about 33 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Iowa County?

It averaged 3.8% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Iowa County?

About 16,504 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Iowa County?

Private employers there had 7,366 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −12.8% 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.

Iowa County data alerts

Email me when Iowa 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 Iowa 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.