Hamilton County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hamilton 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 averageHealthier than 79% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,886 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 25.8 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.28% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,434 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hamilton County declined by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,886 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hamilton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,720 18.3% -4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,801 18.8% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,101 20.8% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,890 19.4% +1.7 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 49.8% of the people living in Hamilton County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.2% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hamilton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hamilton County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,236 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.75% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hamilton County is about 4% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $160,416 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $876 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hamilton County is about 15.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $876 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hamilton County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,420 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,037 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 292 | 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 Hamilton County is about the same as 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
Hamilton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 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
Hamilton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hamilton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.5% | 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).
Hamilton County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Hamilton County, IA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 14,886 residents against a local median of 36,886. Hamilton County, IA's median home price, at $160,416, runs 39% below the $260,937 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $295,145 on median home price, so Hamilton County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hamilton County, IA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, IA | 14,886 | $72,236 #2/4 | $160,416 #3/4 | 17.1 min #3/4 |
| Boone County, IA | 26,668 | $84,575 | $405,319 | 20.8 min |
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $70,594 | $260,937 | 15.2 min |
| Webster County, IA | 36,886 | $66,913 | $110,174 | 14.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hamilton County, Iowa.
How big is Hamilton County, Iowa by population?
About 14,886 people live in Hamilton County, Iowa, in 6,434 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Hamilton County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hamilton County, Iowa has 26 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 30% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hamilton County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($160,416 against $72,236), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $876 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Hamilton County, Iowa have a college degree?
21.6% of adults in Hamilton 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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