Humboldt County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Humboldt 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,591 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.02% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,219 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Humboldt County declined by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,591 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Humboldt County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.2% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,741 18.1% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,736 18.1% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,935 20.2% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,906 19.9% +2.2 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 50.2% of the people living in Humboldt County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Humboldt County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Humboldt County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,156 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.94% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Humboldt County is about 7% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $146,877 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $744 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Humboldt County is about 16.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $744 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Humboldt 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 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.9 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,248 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 313 | 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 Humboldt 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
Humboldt County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.5% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Humboldt County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Humboldt County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 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).
Humboldt County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Humboldt County, IA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County, IA | 9,591 | $70,156 #1/2 | $146,877 #1/2 | 16.4 min #2/2 |
| Webster County, IA | 36,886 | $66,913 | $110,174 | 14.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Humboldt County, Iowa.
How big is Humboldt County, Iowa by population?
About 9,591 people live in Humboldt County, Iowa, in 4,219 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Humboldt County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Humboldt County, Iowa has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Humboldt County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($146,877 against $70,156), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $744 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Humboldt County, Iowa?
18.5% of adults in Humboldt 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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