Van Buren County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Van Buren 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 averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Iowa
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C
Income Below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Iowa
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 93% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,241 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.8 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.23% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,896 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Van Buren County declined by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,241 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Van Buren County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.7% of residents. That is 5.0 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,274 17.6% -4.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,221 16.9% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,514 20.9% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,642 22.7% +5.0 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 49.2% of the people living in Van Buren County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.8% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Van Buren County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Van Buren County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,403 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.57% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Van Buren County is about 18% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $143,452 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $622 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Van Buren County is about 19.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $622 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Van Buren County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.5 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,358 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.7% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,503 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 202 | 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 Van Buren County is 21 minutes, longer 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
Van Buren County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Van Buren County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Van Buren County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Van Buren County, IA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, IA | 7,241 | $61,403 #2/2 | $143,452 #1/2 | 20.7 min #2/2 |
| Henry County, IA | 20,002 | $67,907 | $107,954 | 13.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Van Buren County, Iowa.
How big is Van Buren County, Iowa by population?
About 7,241 people live in Van Buren County, Iowa, in 2,896 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Van Buren County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Van Buren County, Iowa has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Van Buren County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($143,452 against $61,403), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $622 a month takes about 12% 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 Van Buren County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Van Buren County, Iowa is only 4.1%, 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 Van Buren County, Iowa?
17.5% of adults in Van Buren County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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