Hardin County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hardin 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 77% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,639 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.2 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.50% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.6 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,038 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hardin County declined by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,639 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hardin County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,125 18.8% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,996 18.0% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,557 21.4% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,522 21.2% +3.5 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 49.0% of the people living in Hardin County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 51.0% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hardin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hardin County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,879 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.59% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hardin County is about 14% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $75,416 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $794 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.6% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hardin County is about 7.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $794 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hardin County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.3 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.5 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,200 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.0% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,565 | 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 Hardin County is 16 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
Hardin County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Hardin County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hardin County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.5% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 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).
Hardin County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Hardin County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County, IA | 16,639 | $64,879 #3/3 | $75,416 #3/3 | 16.3 min #3/3 |
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $70,594 | $260,937 | 15.2 min |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $73,385 | $122,261 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hardin County, Iowa.
How big is Hardin County, Iowa by population?
About 16,639 people live in Hardin County, Iowa, in 7,038 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Hardin County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hardin County, Iowa has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 34% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Hardin County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($75,416 against $64,879), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $794 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 Hardin County, Iowa have a college degree?
20.2% of adults in Hardin 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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