Muscatine County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Muscatine 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
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,559 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 94.8 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.11% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,345 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Muscatine County grew by 0.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 42,559 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Muscatine County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.5% of residents. That is 1.8 points below Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,717 20.5% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,632 20.3% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,714 20.5% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,559 17.8% 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 49.9% of the people living in Muscatine County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.1% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Muscatine County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Muscatine County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,993 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.82% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Muscatine County is about 7% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $84,420 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $971 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Muscatine County is about 7.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $971 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Muscatine 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 | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.2 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,025 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,685 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 392 | 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 Muscatine 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
Muscatine County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Muscatine County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Muscatine County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 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).
Muscatine County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Muscatine County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine County, IA | 42,559 | $69,993 #3/3 | $84,420 #3/3 | 15.6 min #1/3 |
| Johnson County, IA | 156,634 | $74,948 | $195,175 | 17.3 min |
| Scott County, IA | 174,608 | $78,775 | $168,067 | 18.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Muscatine County, Iowa.
How many people live in Muscatine County, Iowa?
About 42,559 people live in Muscatine County, Iowa, in 17,345 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Muscatine County, Iowa?
Averaged over its land area, Muscatine County, Iowa has 95 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Muscatine County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($84,420 against $69,993), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $971 a month takes about 17% 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 Muscatine County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Muscatine County, Iowa is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Muscatine County, Iowa have a college degree?
21.9% of adults in Muscatine 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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