Poweshiek County, IA

County

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2024 Population

18,545

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.49% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.7%

3.26% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$67,391

3.94% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$209,300

13.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

9,284

2.71% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Poweshiek 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.

97.2% of the residents in Poweshiek County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Poweshiek County, IA are Grinnell College (528 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Poweshiek County, IA was $209,300, and the homeownership rate was 71.2%.

Most people in Poweshiek County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Poweshiek County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Poweshiek County, IA borders Benton County, IA, Iowa County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Keokuk County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marshall County, IA, and Tama County, IA.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Poweshiek County, IA is home to a population of 18.5k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.62% of Poweshiek County, IA residents were born outside of the country (672 people).

In 2024, there were 43.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.7k people) in Poweshiek County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 380 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 355 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%

2024 Citizenship

97.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Poweshiek County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Poweshiek County, IA was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Poweshiek County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
16.7k ± 217
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
380 ± 39
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
355 ± 84

3.54%

Hispanic Population

657 people

3.54% of the people in Poweshiek County, IA are hispanic (657 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Poweshiek 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

3.62%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

672 people

3.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

632 people

As of 2024, 3.62% of Poweshiek County, IA residents (672 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 Poweshiek County, IA was 3.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
380 ± 104
Gulf War (2001-)
187 ± 113
Gulf War (1990s)
164 ± 75

Poweshiek County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.03 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Poweshiek County, IA employs 9.28k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Poweshiek County, IA were Educational Services (1,737 people), Manufacturing (1,551 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,201 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($73,500), Utilities ($66,821), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,417).

Employment

Occupations

9.28k

2024 Value

± 606

2.71%

1 Year growth

± 8.84%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Poweshiek County, IA grew at a rate of 2.71%, from 9.04k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Poweshiek County, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,008 people), Management Occupations (1,006 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (868 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Poweshiek 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

9.28k

2024 Value

± 606

2.71%

1 Year growth

± 8.84%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Poweshiek County, IA grew at a rate of 2.71%, from 9.04k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Poweshiek County, IA, are Educational Services (1,737 people), Manufacturing (1,551 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,201 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Poweshiek County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Poweshiek County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$53,366

Median earning men ± $4,182

$37,205

Median earning women ± $2,148

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($133,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,250), and Information ($60,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($88,250), Wholesale Trade ($73,375), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,250).

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

69
Construction
39
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
37
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$119k
Manufacturing
$83.3k
Finance and Insurance
$72.3k
Educational Services

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 Poweshiek 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 Poweshiek County, IA awarded 528 degrees. The student population of Poweshiek County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 814 male students and 961 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Poweshiek County, IA are White (270 and 64.4%), Asian (43 and 10.3%), Hispanic or Latino (36 and 8.59%), and Unknown (29 and 6.92%).

The largest universities in Poweshiek County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Grinnell College (528 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Poweshiek County, IA are Computer Science (62 and 11.7%), Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (54 and 10.2%), and General Biological Sciences (43 and 8.14%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $64,342.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Poweshiek County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 12.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 36.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,775 (45.9% men and 54.1% 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 1,775 students enrolled in Poweshiek County, IA, 45.9% men and 54.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 920 records, of which 53.2% were women and 46.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
62 degrees awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
54 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
43 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Poweshiek County, IA was Computer Science with 62 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Grinnell College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

528 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Grinnell College with 528 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 250 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Poweshiek County, IA, which is 0.899 times less than the 278 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 270 degrees mean that there were 6.28 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 43 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 ($64,342) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($520) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($900) 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 Poweshiek County, IA was $209,300 in 2024, which is 0.629 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $184,200 to $209,300, a 13.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Poweshiek County, IA is 71.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Poweshiek County, IA have an average commute time of 18.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Poweshiek County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Poweshiek County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.93%.

Housing

Property

$209,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,672

$5,557

Median Property Taxes

±$427

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 Poweshiek County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

71.2%

Homeownership

2024

63.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.2% of the housing units in Poweshiek County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Poweshiek 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.

$67,391

Median Household Income

± $5,210

7.8k

Number of Households

± 576

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.8k households in Poweshiek County, IA grew to $67,391 from the previous year's value of $64,837.

The following chart displays the households in Poweshiek 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Poweshiek 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 (67.9%)
Worked At Home (14%)
Walked (11.3%)

In 2024, 67.9% of workers in Poweshiek County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14%) and those who walked to work (11.3%).

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

18.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Poweshiek County, IA have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.27% of the workforce in Poweshiek County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Poweshiek 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 Poweshiek County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Poweshiek County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Poweshiek County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.93%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Poweshiek County, IA (1.81k out of 16.9k 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 Females 75+, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Poweshiek 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, 11% of the children was living in poverty in Poweshiek County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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 199 in Poweshiek County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 91.3 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

96.1% of the population of Poweshiek County, IA has health coverage, with 52.8% on employee plans, 10.7% on Medicaid, 17.1% on Medicare, 14.2% on non-group plans, and 1.36% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Poweshiek County, IA see 1,162 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,162 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1679 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 595 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,162 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Poweshiek County, IA

Primary care physicians in Poweshiek County, IA see an average of 1,162 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,162 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.8% under 18 years, 22.9% between 18 and 34 years, 34.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.87%

Uninsured

52.8%

Employer Coverage

10.7%

Medicaid

17.1%

Medicare

14.2%

Non-Group

1.36%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Poweshiek County, IA grew by 7.14% from 3.61% to 3.87%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 55.4 in Poweshiek County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Poweshiek 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 42.3% in Poweshiek County, IA.

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