Story County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Story 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.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 95% of counties in Iowa
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,466 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 175.3 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.73% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 28.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 38,904 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Story County grew by 18.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 100,466 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Story County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 42.0% of residents. That is 19.7 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 42,178 42.0% +19.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 16,857 16.8% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,744 13.7% -5.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,227 12.2% -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 47.9% of the people living in Story County and men 52.1%.
- Women 47.9% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 52.1% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Story County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Story County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,594 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.99% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Story County is about 6% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $260,937 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,018 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.5% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Story County is about 21.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,018 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Story County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,938 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,505 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 625 | 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 Story County is 15 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
Story County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.6% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
Story County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Story County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.2% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.3% | 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).
Story County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Story County, IA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 100,466 residents against a local median of 40,114. Story County, IA's median home price, at $260,937, runs 34% above the $195,018 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.2 min against a local median of 18.5 min, 17% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Story County, IA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $283,058 on median home price, so Story County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Story County, IA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story County, IA | 100,466 | $70,594 #4/4 | $260,937 #2/4 | 15.2 min #2/4 |
| Polk County, IA | 502,972 | $83,877 | $195,018 | 18.5 min |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | $73,385 | $122,261 | 13.2 min |
| Boone County, IA | 26,668 | $84,575 | $405,319 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Story County, Iowa.
What is the population of Story County, Iowa?
About 100,466 people live in Story County, Iowa, in 38,904 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 28.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Story County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Story County, Iowa has 175 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Story County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($260,937 against $70,594), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,018 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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