Ida County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ida 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 78% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,911 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.23% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.6 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,050 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ida County declined by 0.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,911 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ida County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.0% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,291 18.7% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,176 17.0% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,403 20.3% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,452 21.0% +3.3 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 Ida 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 Ida County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ida County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,475 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.12% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ida County is about 16% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $146,666 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $695 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ida County is about 17.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $695 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ida County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 98 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.6 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 98 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,044 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,095 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 223 | 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 Ida County is 12 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
Ida County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.5% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Ida County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ida County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 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).
Ida County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ida County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida County, IA | 6,911 | $63,475 #3/3 | $146,666 #2/3 | 11.8 min #2/3 |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | $72,416 | $319,753 | 11.1 min |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $73,309 | $94,303 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ida County, Iowa.
What is the population of Ida County, Iowa?
About 6,911 people live in Ida County, Iowa, in 3,050 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Ida County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ida County, Iowa has 16 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 18% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ida County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($146,666 against $63,475), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $695 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Ida County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Ida County, Iowa is only 2.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Ida County, Iowa have a college degree?
18.5% of adults in Ida 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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