Lucas County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lucas 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 averageLess healthy than 88% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,716 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.1 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.02% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,708 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lucas County declined by 7.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,716 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lucas County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 2.7 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,546 17.7% -4.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,536 17.6% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,878 21.5% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,776 20.4% +2.7 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 49.6% of the people living in Lucas County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.4% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lucas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lucas County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,607 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.57% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lucas County is about 14% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $208,333 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $709 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.8% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lucas County is about 24.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $709 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lucas County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,042 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,449 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 290 | 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 Lucas 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
Lucas County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.9% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Lucas County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lucas County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 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).
Lucas County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lucas County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas County, IA | 8,716 | $64,607 #3/3 | $208,333 #2/3 | 15.6 min #2/3 |
| Marion County, IA | 33,642 | $79,418 | $184,905 | 15.5 min |
| Warren County, IA | 54,398 | $95,575 | $310,000 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lucas County, Iowa.
How big is Lucas County, Iowa by population?
About 8,716 people live in Lucas County, Iowa, in 3,708 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Lucas County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lucas County, Iowa has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lucas County, Iowa?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($208,333 against $64,607), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $709 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Lucas County, Iowa?
13.9% of adults in Lucas County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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