Monona County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monona 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 94% of counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 85% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,557 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.2 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.65% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,878 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monona County declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,557 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monona County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.1% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,460 17.1% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,438 16.8% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,736 20.3% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,979 23.1% +5.5 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 51.5% of the people living in Monona County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 48.5% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Monona County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Monona County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,300 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.16% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monona County is about 10% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $147,499 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $855 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monona County is about 14.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $855 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monona County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.6 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,346 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,722 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 195 | 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 Monona County is about the same as 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
Monona County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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
Monona County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Monona County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 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).
Monona County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Monona County, IA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monona County, IA | 8,557 | $67,300 #2/2 | $147,499 #1/2 | 16.8 min #2/2 |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $73,309 | $94,303 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monona County, Iowa.
What is the population of Monona County, Iowa?
About 8,557 people live in Monona County, Iowa, in 3,878 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Monona County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Monona County, Iowa has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Monona County, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($147,499 against $67,300), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $855 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Monona County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Monona County, Iowa is only 1.6%, 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 Monona County, Iowa?
15.3% of adults in Monona 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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