Buchanan County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Buchanan 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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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 81% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,694 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.1 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.20% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,252 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Buchanan County declined by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,694 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Buchanan County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.1% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,078 19.7% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,901 18.9% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,160 20.1% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,838 18.5% +0.9 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 49.5% of the people living in Buchanan County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Buchanan County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Buchanan County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,708 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.14% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Buchanan County is about 3% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $298,275 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $848 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Buchanan County is about 29.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $848 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Buchanan County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,319 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,470 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 383 | 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 Buchanan County is 21 minutes, longer 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
Buchanan County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Buchanan County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 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).
Buchanan County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Buchanan County, IA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 20,694 residents against a local median of 130,985. Where Buchanan County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 243% above the local median of $87,001 at $298,275.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.6 min against a local median of 16.9 min, 22% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% above the local median it puts Buchanan County, IA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $187,198 on median home price, so Buchanan County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Buchanan County, IA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | $77,708 #3/4 | $298,275 #1/4 | 20.6 min #3/4 |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $87,152 | $45,471 | 23.7 min |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $78,016 | $232,669 | 16.9 min |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $66,338 | $87,001 | 13.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Buchanan County, Iowa.
What is the population of Buchanan County, Iowa?
About 20,694 people live in Buchanan County, Iowa, in 8,252 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Buchanan County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Buchanan County, Iowa has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Buchanan County, Iowa?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($298,275 against $77,708), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $848 a month takes about 13% 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 Buchanan County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Buchanan County, Iowa is only 2.8%, 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 Buchanan County, Iowa?
19.8% of adults in Buchanan County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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