Adair County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Adair County, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,460 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.1 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,236 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Adair County declined by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,460 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Adair County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.6% of residents. That is 4.0 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,340 18.0% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,297 17.4% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,521 20.4% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,614 21.6% +4.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.4% of the people living in Adair County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.6% Iowa 50.0%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Adair County
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Economy
Adair County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,688 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Adair County is about 10% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $6,612 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $798 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Adair County is about 0.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $798 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Adair County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.9 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,988 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,827 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 211 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Adair County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Adair County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Adair County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Adair County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.1% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Adair County, Iowa.
What is the population of Adair County, Iowa?
About 7,460 people live in Adair County, Iowa, in 3,236 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Adair County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Adair County, Iowa has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Adair County, Iowa?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($6,612 against $67,688), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $798 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Adair County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Adair County, Iowa is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Adair County, Iowa?
17.7% of adults in Adair County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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