Johnson County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Johnson 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.
-
A
Health Above averageHealthiest county in Iowa
-
B
Income Around average
-
A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 156,634 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 251.5 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.23% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 63,335 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Johnson County grew by 24.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 156,634 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Johnson County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 34.1% of residents. That is 11.9 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 53,449 34.1% +11.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,413 20.7% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 25,311 16.2% -2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 18,850 12.0% -5.6 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 50.3% of the people living in Johnson County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.7% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Johnson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Johnson County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,948 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.44% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Johnson County is about the same as in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $195,175 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,122 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Johnson County is about 14.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,122 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Johnson County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.7 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,481 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,079 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 960 | 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 Johnson 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
Johnson County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.4% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Johnson County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Johnson County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.4% | 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).
Johnson County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Johnson County, IA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 156,634 residents against a local median of 42,559. Where Johnson County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 16% below the local median of $232,669 at $195,175.
The counties themselves spread $365,579 on median home price, so Johnson County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Johnson County, IA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, IA | 156,634 | $74,948 #3/4 | $195,175 #3/4 | 17.3 min #3/4 |
| Washington County, IA | 22,560 | $76,076 | $449,999 | 18.2 min |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $78,016 | $232,669 | 16.9 min |
| Muscatine County, IA | 42,559 | $69,993 | $84,420 | 15.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Johnson County, Iowa.
How many people live in Johnson County, Iowa?
About 156,634 people live in Johnson County, Iowa, in 63,335 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Johnson County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Johnson County, Iowa has 252 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Johnson County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($195,175 against $74,948), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,122 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Johnson County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Johnson County, Iowa is only 3.8%, 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 Johnson County, Iowa?
45.4% of adults in Johnson County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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