Black Hawk County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Black Hawk 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.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Iowa
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 86% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,985 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 228.9 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.18% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 54,528 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Black Hawk County grew by 2.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 130,985 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Black Hawk County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.3% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 34,473 26.3% +4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 25,189 19.2% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 22,707 17.3% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 22,464 17.1% -0.5 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 51.1% of the people living in Black Hawk County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 48.9% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Black Hawk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Black Hawk County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,338 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.50% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Black Hawk County is about 12% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $87,001 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $989 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Black Hawk County is about 7.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $989 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Black Hawk County spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 116 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.9 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.9 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 116 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,604 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,484 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 780 | 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 Black Hawk County is 14 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
Black Hawk County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
Black Hawk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.8% | 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).
Black Hawk County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Black Hawk County, IA is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 130,985 residents against a local median of 25,204. Black Hawk County, IA's median home price, at $87,001, runs 91% above the $45,471 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 13.9 min against a local median of 20.6 min, 32% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Black Hawk County, IA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $279,791 on median home price, so Black Hawk County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Black Hawk County, IA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $66,338 #4/4 | $87,001 #2/4 | 13.9 min #1/4 |
| Bremer County, IA | 25,204 | $86,476 | $18,484 | 20.1 min |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $87,152 | $45,471 | 23.7 min |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | $77,708 | $298,275 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Black Hawk County, Iowa.
How big is Black Hawk County, Iowa by population?
About 130,985 people live in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in 54,528 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Black Hawk County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Black Hawk County, Iowa has 229 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Black Hawk County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($87,001 against $66,338), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $989 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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