Cerro Gordo County, IA

County

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2024 Population

42,632

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.228% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.6%

12.9% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$68,189

4.05% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$166,400

7.98% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

21,452

2.3% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Cerro Gordo 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.

98.5% of the residents in Cerro Gordo County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cerro Gordo County, IA are North Iowa Area Community College (893 degrees awarded in 2023) and La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology (50 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Cerro Gordo County, IA was $166,400, and the homeownership rate was 70.4%.

Most people in Cerro Gordo County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Cerro Gordo County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Cerro Gordo County, IA borders Butler County, IA, Floyd County, IA, Franklin County, IA, Hancock County, IA, Mitchell County, IA, Winnebago County, IA, Worth County, IA, and Wright County, IA.

United States Iowa Mason City, IA

Population & Diversity

Cerro Gordo County, IA is home to a population of 42.6k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.55% of Cerro Gordo County, IA residents were born outside of the country (1.09k people).

In 2024, there were 29.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (37.6k people) in Cerro Gordo County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.27k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 813 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Cerro Gordo County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cerro Gordo County, IA was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cerro Gordo County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
37.6k ± 100
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.27k ± 218
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
813 ± 207

5.62%

Hispanic Population

2.4k people

5.62% of the people in Cerro Gordo County, IA are hispanic (2.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cerro Gordo 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

2.55%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.09k people

2.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

898 people

As of 2024, 2.55% of Cerro Gordo County, IA residents (1.09k 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 Cerro Gordo County, IA was 2.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
843 ± 165
Gulf War (2001-)
613 ± 167
Gulf War (1990s)
273 ± 118

Cerro Gordo County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Cerro Gordo County, IA employs 21.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cerro Gordo County, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,589 people), Manufacturing (3,471 people), and Retail Trade (3,179 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($98,182), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,051), and Information ($67,038).

Employment

Occupations

21.5k

2024 Value

± 1,069

−2.3%

1 Year decline

± 7.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cerro Gordo County, IA declined at a rate of −2.3%, from 22k employees to 21.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cerro Gordo County, IA, are Sales & Related Occupations (2,589 people), Management Occupations (2,201 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,999 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cerro Gordo 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

21.5k

2024 Value

± 1,069

−2.3%

1 Year decline

± 7.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cerro Gordo County, IA declined at a rate of −2.3%, from 22k employees to 21.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cerro Gordo County, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,589 people), Manufacturing (3,471 people), and Retail Trade (3,179 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cerro Gordo County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Cerro Gordo County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,441

Median earning men ± $2,314

$36,623

Median earning women ± $2,343

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($86,875), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($71,322), and Wholesale Trade ($70,086).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($68,281), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,321), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($54,167).

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

100
Other Services (except Public Administration)
76
Retail Trade
72
Construction

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

$245k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$171k
Manufacturing
$102k
Retail 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 Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County, IA awarded 943 degrees. The student population of Cerro Gordo County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,125 male students and 1,402 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cerro Gordo County, IA are White (792 and 85.9%), Hispanic or Latino (71 and 7.7%), Black or African American (24 and 2.6%), and Two or More Races (17 and 1.84%).

The largest universities in Cerro Gordo County, IA by number of degrees awarded are North Iowa Area Community College (893 and 94.7%) and La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology (50 and 5.3%).

The most popular majors in Cerro Gordo County, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (291 and 30.9%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (107 and 11.3%), and Physical Education Teaching & Coaching (51 and 5.41%).

The median tuition cost in Cerro Gordo County, IA for a public four year colleges is $13,356 for in-state students and $13,356 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,527 students enrolled in Cerro Gordo County, IA, 44.5% men and 55.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,068 records, of which 55.9% were women and 44.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
21 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
291 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
47 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Cerro Gordo County, IA was General Business Administration & Management with 21 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

North Iowa Area Community College
893 degrees awarded
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
50 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was North Iowa Area Community College with 893 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 391 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cerro Gordo County, IA, which is 0.708 times less than the 552 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 792 degrees mean that there were 11.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 71 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

Public, 2-year ($5,618) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($818) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,420) 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 Cerro Gordo County, IA was $166,400 in 2024, which is 0.5 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $154,100 to $166,400, a 7.98% increase. The homeownership rate in Cerro Gordo County, IA is 70.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cerro Gordo County, IA have an average commute time of 15.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cerro Gordo County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.76% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cerro Gordo County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.74%.

Housing

Property

$166,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,119

$13,745

Median Property Taxes

±$747

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

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

Rent vs Own

70.4%

Homeownership

2024

60.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.4% of the housing units in Cerro Gordo County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cerro Gordo 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.

$68,189

Median Household Income

± $2,473

19.5k

Number of Households

± 957

In 2024, the median household income of the 19.5k households in Cerro Gordo County, IA grew to $68,189 from the previous year's value of $65,537.

The following chart displays the households in Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo 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 (80.1%)
Carpooled (7.6%)
Worked At Home (7.23%)

In 2024, 80.1% of workers in Cerro Gordo County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.6%) and those who worked at home (7.23%).

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

15.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cerro Gordo County, IA have a shorter commute time (15.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.931% of the workforce in Cerro Gordo County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.76% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cerro Gordo County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.74%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cerro Gordo County, IA (4.41k out of 41.7k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 13.1% of the children was living in poverty in Cerro Gordo County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.7%.

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 133 in Cerro Gordo County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 21.9 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

95.5% of the population of Cerro Gordo County, IA has health coverage, with 47.2% on employee plans, 17.1% on Medicaid, 17.7% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 2.08% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cerro Gordo County, IA see 700 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (700 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1034 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 288 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

700 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cerro Gordo County, IA

Primary care physicians in Cerro Gordo County, IA see an average of 700 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (700 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.1% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.52%

Uninsured

47.2%

Employer Coverage

17.1%

Medicaid

17.7%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

2.08%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cerro Gordo County, IA grew by 20.5% from 3.75% to 4.52%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cerro Gordo 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 79.2 in Cerro Gordo County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cerro Gordo 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 38.4% in Cerro Gordo County, IA.

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