Delaware County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Delaware 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 87% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 78% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,558 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.3 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,369 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Delaware County grew by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,558 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Delaware County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.4% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,294 18.8% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,078 17.5% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,939 22.4% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,375 19.2% +1.5 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 49.2% of the people living in Delaware County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.8% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Delaware County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Delaware County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,990 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.00% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Delaware County is about the same as in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $73,250 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $764 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.6% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Delaware County is about 8.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $764 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Delaware 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 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,946 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,138 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 300 | 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 Delaware 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
Delaware County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.3% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Delaware County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Delaware County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 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).
Delaware County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Delaware County, IA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 17,558 residents against a local median of 59,961. The measure that sets Delaware County, IA apart most is median home price: $73,250, 72% below the local median of $265,472.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.3 min against a local median of 18.7 min, 18% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 18% below the local median it puts Delaware County, IA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $144,869 on median home price, so Delaware County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Delaware County, IA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, IA | 17,558 | $74,990 #4/5 | $73,250 #5/5 | 15.3 min #2/5 |
| Jones County, IA | 20,896 | $73,384 | $162,500 | 21.7 min |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $78,016 | $232,669 | 16.9 min |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | $77,708 | $298,275 | 20.6 min |
| Dubuque County, IA | 99,026 | $78,371 | $307,368 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Delaware County, Iowa.
How big is Delaware County, Iowa by population?
About 17,558 people live in Delaware County, Iowa, in 7,369 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Delaware County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Delaware County, Iowa has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Delaware County, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($73,250 against $74,990), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $764 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Delaware County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Delaware County, Iowa is only 2.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Delaware County, Iowa?
17.3% of adults in Delaware 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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