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Mills County, IA: population growth, jobs and income

Mills County gained 45 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.3%).

Mills County had an estimated 14,793 residents in 2025, up 2.6% (380 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Iowa as a whole (+1.5%), and the 10th fastest growth of 99 counties in Iowa.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Mills County report

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

  • Median gross rent$959/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes12.1%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months222025-10/2026-09
  • 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

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 64 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 2,291 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +1.1% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.6% in 2025, 1.3 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 25 new homes in 2025, or 1.7 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $90,753 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.8% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,094th.

Part of the Omaha, NE-IA metro area.

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Mills County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202514,793+45
202414,748+129
202314,619+62
202214,557+68
202114,489+76
202014,413–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Mills County

Mills County grew by 380 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+463).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−14−94
International migrationfrom and to other countries−5+13
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+64+463
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0−2
Total change+45+380

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 growth10th of 991,094th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents22nd of 991,160th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth42nd of 991,710th of 3,092
Median household income4th of 99285th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate72nd of 991,033rd of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents47th of 991,692nd of 3,005

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

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Mills 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 Sarpy County and Pottawattamie County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Mills County's population change (+2.6%) was ahead of 4 of its 6 neighbouring counties and behind 2 (Sarpy County, NE and Cass County, NE).

2 of its 6 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Mills County's $90,753 (2020–24).

Mills County, IA and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Mills County, IA This county14,793+2.6%4.31.7$90,753
Fremont County, IA6,522−0.8%8.12.3$71,621
Pottawattamie County, IA92,996−0.7%−0.23.6$73,602
Montgomery County, IA10,002−3.2%2.22.9$63,666
Sarpy County, NE208,303+9.0%10.57.7$103,321
Cass County, NE27,657+3.9%5.42.0$91,836
Page County, IA14,856−2.3%−4.70.8$57,953

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 Mills County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 2.6% between 2020 and 2025, about 380 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Iowa as a whole changed +1.5% over the same years. That ranks 10th of 99 counties in Iowa for population growth.

How many people moved to Mills County?

On net, about 64 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 Mills County?

It averaged 3.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Mills County?

About 14,793 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Mills County?

Private employers there had 2,291 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +1.1% 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.

Mills County data alerts

Email me when Mills 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 Mills 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.