Worth County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Worth 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 average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 77% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,350 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.3 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.35% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,178 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Worth County declined by 3.6% from 2010 to 2024, reaching 7,350 in 2024.
Population Growth 2010–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Worth County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.7% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,331 18.1% -4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,338 18.2% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,665 22.7% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,494 20.3% +2.6 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 48.8% of the people living in Worth County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 51.2% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Worth County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Worth County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,305 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.80% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Worth County is about 3% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $28,124 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $757 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Worth County is about 3.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $757 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Worth County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.9 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,537 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.3% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,563 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 716 | 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 Worth 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
Worth County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 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
Worth County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Worth County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Worth County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Worth County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth County, IA | 7,350 | $77,305 #1/3 | $28,124 #3/3 | 21.4 min #3/3 |
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 42,632 | $68,649 | $57,820 | 13.0 min |
| Freeborn County, MN | 30,623 | $70,120 | $135,869 | 15.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Worth County, Iowa.
How many people live in Worth County, Iowa?
About 7,350 people live in Worth County, Iowa, in 3,178 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Worth County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Worth County, Iowa has 18 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 21% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Worth County, Iowa?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($28,124 against $77,305), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $757 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 Worth County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Worth County, Iowa is only 3.5%, 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 Worth County, Iowa have a college degree?
19.2% of adults in Worth 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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