Woodbury County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Woodbury 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 85% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 106,250 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 121.0 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.46% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 40,706 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Woodbury County declined by 1.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 106,250 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Woodbury County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.0% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,386 23.0% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 21,237 20.0% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,297 19.1% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 16,666 15.7% -2.0 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 50.2% of the people living in Woodbury County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Woodbury County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Woodbury County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,309 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.17% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Woodbury County is about 2% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $94,303 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $980 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Woodbury County is about 8.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $980 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Woodbury County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 136 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.7 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 136 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,227 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,187 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 660 | 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 Woodbury 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
Woodbury County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 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
Woodbury County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Woodbury County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.3% | 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).
Woodbury County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Woodbury County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $73,309 #2/3 | $94,303 #1/3 | 16.4 min #3/3 |
| Plymouth County, IA | 25,747 | $83,321 | $28,068 | 16.0 min |
| Dakota County, NE | 21,354 | $70,667 | $7,777 | 13.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Woodbury County, Iowa.
How many people live in Woodbury County, Iowa?
About 106,250 people live in Woodbury County, Iowa, in 40,706 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Woodbury County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Woodbury County, Iowa has 121 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Woodbury County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($94,303 against $73,309), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $980 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Woodbury County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Woodbury 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 Woodbury County, Iowa?
21.6% of adults in Woodbury 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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