Marshall County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marshall 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 72% of counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 87% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,114 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 70.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.21% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,482 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marshall County grew by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 40,114 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marshall County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.4% of residents. That is 1.8 points below Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,195 20.4% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,636 19.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,976 19.9% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,058 17.6% on par
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 49.5% of the people living in Marshall County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marshall County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marshall County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,385 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.70% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marshall County is about 2% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $122,261 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $884 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.0% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marshall County is about 11.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $884 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marshall County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.4 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,412 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,343 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 485 | 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 Marshall County is 13 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
Marshall County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 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
Marshall County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Marshall County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.0% | 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).
Marshall County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Marshall County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $73,385 #1/3 | $122,261 #3/3 | 13.2 min #1/3 |
| Jasper County, IA | 37,954 | $70,936 | $219,047 | 21.5 min |
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $70,594 | $260,937 | 15.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marshall County, Iowa.
How many people live in Marshall County, Iowa?
About 40,114 people live in Marshall County, Iowa, in 15,482 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Marshall County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Marshall County, Iowa has 70 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Marshall County, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($122,261 against $73,385), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $884 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Marshall County, Iowa?
20.5% of adults in Marshall 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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