Fayette County, IA

County

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2024 Population

19,288

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.9

0.458% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12%

3.81% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$60,165

2.38% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$136,800

4.59% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

9,158

0.0765% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Fayette County, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.3% of the residents in Fayette County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fayette County, IA are Upper Iowa University (1,035 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Fayette County, IA was $136,800, and the homeownership rate was 76.5%.

Most people in Fayette County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Fayette County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Fayette County, IA borders Allamakee County, IA, Black Hawk County, IA, Bremer County, IA, Buchanan County, IA, Chickasaw County, IA, Clayton County, IA, Delaware County, IA, and Winneshiek County, IA.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Fayette County, IA is home to a population of 19.3k people, from which 98.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.11% of Fayette County, IA residents were born outside of the country (407 people).

In 2024, there were 43.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.6k people) in Fayette County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 400 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 317 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of Fayette County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fayette County, IA was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Fayette County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fayette County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
17.6k ± 170
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
400 ± 88
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
317 ± 170

3.07%

Hispanic Population

593 people

3.07% of the people in Fayette County, IA are hispanic (593 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Fayette County, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,808 ± 5,046 people
India
12,283 ± 2,716 people
China
7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

Foreign-Born Population

2.11%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

407 people

1.61%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

312 people

As of 2024, 2.11% of Fayette County, IA residents (407 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fayette County, IA was 1.61%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Fayette County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
476 ± 76
Gulf War (2001-)
295 ± 106
Gulf War (1990s)
180 ± 65

Fayette County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Fayette County, IA.

Economy

The economy of Fayette County, IA employs 9.16k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fayette County, IA were Manufacturing (1,612 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,252 people), and Educational Services (1,171 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($69,722), Wholesale Trade ($63,750), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,321).

Employment

Occupations

9.16k

2024 Value

± 482

0.0765%

1 Year growth

± 7.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, IA grew at a rate of 0.0765%, from 9.15k employees to 9.16k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fayette County, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,101 people), Management Occupations (1,097 people), and Production Occupations (902 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fayette County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

9.16k

2024 Value

± 482

0.0765%

1 Year growth

± 7.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, IA grew at a rate of 0.0765%, from 9.15k employees to 9.16k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fayette County, IA, are Manufacturing (1,612 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,252 people), and Educational Services (1,171 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fayette County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Fayette County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,879

Median earning men ± $2,445

$37,422

Median earning women ± $2,541

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($170,250), Wholesale Trade ($67,500), and Public Administration ($58,400).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($57,563), Wholesale Trade ($47,794), and Manufacturing ($47,621).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

53
Other Services (except Public Administration)
46
Retail Trade
35
Finance and Insurance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$34k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$28.4k
Manufacturing
$25.9k
Wholesale Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Fayette County, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Fayette County, IA awarded 1,035 degrees. The student population of Fayette County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,306 male students and 1,796 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fayette County, IA are White (718 and 72.2%), Black or African American (161 and 16.2%), Hispanic or Latino (53 and 5.33%), and Unknown (19 and 1.91%).

The largest universities in Fayette County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Upper Iowa University (1,035 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Fayette County, IA are General Business Administration & Management (217 and 21%), General Psychology (99 and 9.57%), and Elementary Education & Teaching (74 and 7.15%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $18,000.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Fayette County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 93.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,102 (42.1% men and 57.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 3,102 students enrolled in Fayette County, IA, 42.1% men and 57.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,715 records, of which 61.9% were women and 38.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
142 degrees awarded
General Psychology
88 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
74 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Fayette County, IA was General Business Administration & Management with 142 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Fayette County, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Upper Iowa University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,035 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Upper Iowa University with 1,035 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 362 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fayette County, IA, which is 0.538 times less than the 673 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 718 degrees mean that there were 4.46 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 161 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($18,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,652) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fayette County, IA was $136,800 in 2024, which is 0.411 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $130,800 to $136,800, a 4.59% increase. The homeownership rate in Fayette County, IA is 76.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Fayette County, IA have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fayette County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.557%.

Housing

Property

$136,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,976

$6,385

Median Property Taxes

±$382

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fayette County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Fayette County, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.5%

Homeownership

2024

60.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.5% of the housing units in Fayette County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fayette County, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,165

Median Household Income

± $4,060

8.34k

Number of Households

± 456

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.34k households in Fayette County, IA grew to $60,165 from the previous year's value of $58,764.

The following chart displays the households in Fayette County, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fayette County, IA is from Iowa.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.4%)
Carpooled (7.39%)
Worked At Home (7.32%)

In 2024, 79.4% of workers in Fayette County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.39%) and those who worked at home (7.32%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fayette County, IA have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.41% of the workforce in Fayette County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Fayette County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Fayette County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Fayette County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.557%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fayette County, IA (2.23k out of 18.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fayette County, IA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.1% of the children was living in poverty in Fayette County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 279 in Fayette County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 92.9 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.4% of the population of Fayette County, IA has health coverage, with 41.7% on employee plans, 18.2% on Medicaid, 17.7% on Medicare, 15.4% on non-group plans, and 1.4% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, IA see 3,210 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,210 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1754 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1201 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,210 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Fayette County, IA

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, IA see an average of 3,210 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,210 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Fayette County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.3% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 22% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.61%

Uninsured

41.7%

Employer Coverage

18.2%

Medicaid

17.7%

Medicare

15.4%

Non-Group

1.4%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fayette County, IA grew by 20.4% from 4.66% to 5.61%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Fayette County, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 58.6 in Fayette County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Fayette County, IA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.7% in Fayette County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Fayette County, IA.