Lyon County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lyon 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 89% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 89% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,162 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.7 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.45% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,479 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lyon County grew by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,162 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lyon County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 19.6% of residents. That is 2.6 points below Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,386 19.6% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,307 19.0% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,257 18.6% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,078 17.1% -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 49.1% of the people living in Lyon County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.9% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lyon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lyon County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,339 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.11% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lyon County is about 2% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $261,428 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $843 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.9% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lyon County is about 25.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $843 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lyon County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.6 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,076 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,489 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 644 | 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 Lyon 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
Lyon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 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
Lyon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lyon County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.9% | 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).
Lyon County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Lyon County, IA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 12,162 residents against a local median of 36,212. The measure that sets Lyon County, IA apart most is commute: 15.8 min, 24% above the local median of 12.7 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $261,428 against a local median of $215,001, 22% above it. The counties themselves spread 8.0 min on commute, so Lyon County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lyon County, IA has the 3rd lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County, IA | 12,162 | $76,339 #3/4 | $261,428 #2/4 | 15.8 min #3/4 |
| Sioux County, IA | 36,212 | $88,224 | $13,749 | 10.1 min |
| Lincoln County, SD | 70,639 | $98,826 | $337,722 | 18.1 min |
| Nobles County, MN | 22,041 | $67,652 | $215,001 | 12.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lyon County, Iowa.
What is the population of Lyon County, Iowa?
About 12,162 people live in Lyon County, Iowa, in 4,479 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 35.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Lyon County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lyon County, Iowa has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lyon County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($261,428 against $76,339), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $843 a month takes about 13% 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 Lyon County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Lyon County, Iowa is only 2.3%, 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 Lyon County, Iowa?
19.0% of adults in Lyon 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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