Louisa County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Louisa 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,678 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 25.6 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.65% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,237 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Louisa County declined by 8.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,678 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Louisa County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 2.7 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,090 19.6% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,101 19.7% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,303 21.6% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,953 18.3% +0.6 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 48.7% of the people living in Louisa County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 51.3% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Louisa County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Louisa County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,267 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.14% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Louisa County is about 3% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $253,906 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $775 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.3% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Louisa County is about 27.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $775 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Louisa County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 212 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.5 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.9 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 212 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,580 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,750 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 345 | 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 Louisa County is 25 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
Louisa County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Louisa County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Louisa County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 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).
Louisa County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Louisa County, IA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 10,678 residents against a local median of 30,524. The measure that sets Louisa County, IA apart most is median home price: $253,906, 164% above the local median of $96,187.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.5 min against a local median of 14.6 min, 74% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 74% above the local median it puts Louisa County, IA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $425,695 on median home price, so Louisa County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Louisa County, IA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa County, IA | 10,678 | $77,267 #1/5 | $253,906 #2/5 | 25.5 min #5/5 |
| Muscatine County, IA | 42,559 | $69,993 | $84,420 | 15.6 min |
| Des Moines County, IA | 38,487 | $63,600 | $24,305 | 13.7 min |
| Henry County, IA | 20,002 | $67,907 | $107,954 | 13.4 min |
| Washington County, IA | 22,560 | $76,076 | $449,999 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Louisa County, Iowa.
What is the population of Louisa County, Iowa?
About 10,678 people live in Louisa County, Iowa, in 4,237 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Louisa County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Louisa County, Iowa has 26 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 30% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Louisa County, Iowa?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($253,906 against $77,267), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $775 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Louisa County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Louisa County, Iowa is only 3.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Louisa County, Iowa?
13.8% of adults in Louisa County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →