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Pottawattamie County, IA: population growth, jobs and income

Pottawattamie County lost 274 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.3%).

Pottawattamie County had an estimated 92,996 residents in 2025, down 0.7% (671 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Iowa as a whole (+1.5%), and the 43rd fastest growth of 99 counties in Iowa.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Pottawattamie County report

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

  • Median gross rent$1,018/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes6.1%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months6232025-10/2026-09
  • 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 was negative in 2025: 23 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 32,384 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +4.5% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.8% in 2025, 1.3 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 334 new homes in 2025, or 3.6 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $73,602 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +22.9% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,111th.

Part of the Omaha, NE-IA metro area.

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Pottawattamie County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202592,996−274
202493,270−81
202393,351+189
202293,162−261
202193,423−244
202093,667–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Pottawattamie County

Pottawattamie County lost 671 people since 2020; the biggest drag was natural change (−904).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−240−904
International migrationfrom and to other countries−18+661
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−23−441
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+7+13
Total change−274−671

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 growth43rd of 992,111th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents46th of 991,956th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth26th of 991,278th of 3,092
Median household income34th of 99934th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate82nd of 991,280th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents18th of 99944th 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 Pottawattamie 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, Pottawattamie County's population change (−0.7%) was ahead of 2 of its 8 neighbouring counties and behind 6.

5 of its 8 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Pottawattamie County's $73,602 (2020–24).

Pottawattamie 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
Pottawattamie County, IA This county92,996−0.7%−0.23.6$73,602
Mills County, IA14,793+2.6%4.31.7$90,753
Shelby County, IA11,689−0.2%−3.50.3$72,738
Harrison County, IA14,623+0.4%4.71.4$79,535
Montgomery County, IA10,002−3.2%2.22.9$63,666
Sarpy County, NE208,303+9.0%10.57.7$103,321
Douglas County, NE606,460+3.6%−0.66.5$80,391
Cass County, IA12,960−1.2%3.00.8$63,013
Washington County, NE21,302+1.8%−0.99.7$94,396

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 Pottawattamie County growing?

No. Its population fell 0.7% between 2020 and 2025, about 671 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Iowa as a whole changed +1.5% over the same years. That ranks 43rd of 99 counties in Iowa for population growth.

How many people moved to Pottawattamie County?

On net, none in 2025: about 23 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Pottawattamie County?

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

What is the population of Pottawattamie County?

About 92,996 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Pottawattamie County?

Private employers there had 32,384 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +4.5% 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.

Pottawattamie County data alerts

Email me when Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie 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.