Pocahontas County, Iowa Income Statistics
Pocahontas County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
Pocahontas County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $62,002 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $51,206 | $57,332 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.0% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.7% | 8.6% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Pocahontas County is about 17% lower than in Iowa. Income has been growing slower in Pocahontas County (3.7%/yr) than in Iowa (4.0%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Pocahontas County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Iowa average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Pocahontas County, Iowa grew by 50.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $62,002 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Pocahontas County
| Metric | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.500 | 0.510 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,593 | $66,524 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,806 | $52,524 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 27.7% | 21.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Pocahontas County, it is 0.500, lower than Iowa's 0.510, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 38% more than women's income in Pocahontas County, Iowa. Over a 35-year career, a 38% wage gap accumulates to roughly $587,545 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Pocahontas County, Iowa has widened from about 25% to 28% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2020, and was narrowest at 18% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $6,968 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Pocahontas County widened by 2.8 points while Iowa's narrowed by 3.3 points.
Employment
| Metric | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.4% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 15 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 186 people are unemployed in Pocahontas County, Iowa.
The average commute time in Pocahontas County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Iowa.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Pocahontas County, Iowa has risen from 5.0% to 5.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 6.3% in 2022 and fell as low as 3.2% in 2018.
Pocahontas County, IA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Pocahontas County, IA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,046 residents against a local median of 9,689. Pocahontas County, IA's income growth, at 3.7%/yr, runs 26% below the 4.9%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.4% against a local median of 4.4%, 22% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Pocahontas County, IA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves sit within 0.3%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Pocahontas County, IA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Pocahontas County, IA has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County, IA | 7,046 | $62,002 #6/6 | 3.7%/yr #6/6 | 5.4% #5/6 | 0.500 #4/6 |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 8,863 | $71,742 | 4.9%/yr | 2.2% | 0.486 |
| Calhoun County, IA | 9,803 | $65,135 | 4.9%/yr | 2.6% | 0.523 |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | $72,416 | 4.9%/yr | 5.5% | 0.495 |
| Humboldt County, IA | 9,591 | $70,156 | 4.9%/yr | 5.0% | 0.502 |
| Sac County, IA | 9,689 | $73,798 | 5.2%/yr | 4.4% | 0.471 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pocahontas County, Iowa has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it about on par with Iowa, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Pocahontas County, Iowa.
How Rich Is Pocahontas County, Iowa?
Pocahontas County has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $62,002, about 17% lower than the Iowa average of $75,133.
Are incomes growing in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Pocahontas County, Iowa rose 51%, from $41,124 to $62,002. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Iowa as a whole: +51% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Pocahontas County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Pocahontas County, Iowa was $63,956, up 3% from $62,336 in 2022. The Iowa median that year was $73,347.
What was the median household income in Pocahontas County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Pocahontas County, Iowa was $54,927. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $62,002.
How strong is the job market in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Pocahontas County, Iowa is 5.4%, well above the Iowa rate of 3.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
The Gini coefficient in Pocahontas County is 0.500. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Pocahontas County, Iowa has widened from about 25% to 28% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2020, and was narrowest at 18% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $6,968 since 2009.
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