Jones County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jones 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 76% of counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,896 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.2 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,198 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jones County grew by 2.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,896 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jones 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 3,887 18.6% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,236 20.3% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,471 21.4% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,129 19.8% +2.1 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 47.5% of the people living in Jones County and men 52.5%.
- Women 47.5% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 52.5% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jones County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jones County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,384 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.65% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jones County is about 2% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $162,500 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $783 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.6% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jones County is about 17.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $783 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jones County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.3 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,596 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.9% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,834 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 322 | 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 Jones County is 22 minutes, longer 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
Jones County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Jones County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jones County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 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).
Jones County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jones County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County, IA | 20,896 | $73,384 #3/3 | $162,500 #3/3 | 21.7 min #3/3 |
| Dubuque County, IA | 99,026 | $78,371 | $307,368 | 13.7 min |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $78,016 | $232,669 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jones County, Iowa.
How big is Jones County, Iowa by population?
About 20,896 people live in Jones County, Iowa, in 8,198 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Jones County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Jones County, Iowa has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Jones County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($162,500 against $73,384), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $783 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Jones County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Jones County, Iowa is only 3.5%, 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 Jones County, Iowa?
20.7% of adults in Jones 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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