Decatur County, IA

County

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2024 Population

7,759

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.1

0.276% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.6%

4.27% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$59,044

3.32% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$113,900

4.02% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

3,799

8.39% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Decatur 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.

98.6% of the residents in Decatur County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Decatur County, IA are Graceland University-Lamoni (415 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Decatur County, IA was $113,900, and the homeownership rate was 69.7%.

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

Decatur County, IA borders Clarke County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Ringgold County, IA, Union County, IA, Wayne County, IA, Harrison County, MO, and Mercer County, MO.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Decatur County, IA is home to a population of 7.76k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.88% of Decatur County, IA residents were born outside of the country (146 people).

In 2024, there were 34.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7k people) in Decatur County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 202 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 124 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.6% of Decatur County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Decatur County, IA was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Decatur County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
7k ± 58
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
202 ± 56
White (Hispanic)
124 ± 57

3.53%

Hispanic Population

274 people

3.53% of the people in Decatur County, IA are hispanic (274 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Decatur 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

1.88%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

146 people

1.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

146 people

As of 2024, 1.88% of Decatur County, IA residents (146 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 Decatur County, IA was 1.9%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
180 ± 47
Gulf War (2001-)
36 ± 26
Korea
34 ± 33

Decatur County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Decatur County, IA employs 3.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Decatur County, IA were Educational Services (660 people), Manufacturing (521 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (506 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($80,781), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,583), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,635).

Employment

Occupations

3.8k

2024 Value

± 298

8.39%

1 Year growth

± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Decatur County, IA grew at a rate of 8.39%, from 3.51k employees to 3.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Decatur County, IA, are Sales & Related Occupations (409 people), Management Occupations (396 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (375 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Decatur 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

3.8k

2024 Value

± 298

8.39%

1 Year growth

± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Decatur County, IA grew at a rate of 8.39%, from 3.51k employees to 3.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Decatur County, IA, are Educational Services (660 people), Manufacturing (521 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (506 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Decatur County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Decatur County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,795

Median earning men ± $6,692

$30,711

Median earning women ± $4,018

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,100), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($58,500), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,521).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($65,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,304), and Public Administration ($50,673).

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

16
Construction
13
Other Services (except Public Administration)
11
Retail Trade

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

$13.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.33k
Retail Trade
$3.7k
Manufacturing

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 Decatur 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 Decatur County, IA awarded 415 degrees. The student population of Decatur County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 588 male students and 607 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Decatur County, IA are White (278 and 73.5%), Hispanic or Latino (26 and 6.88%), Black or African American (25 and 6.61%), and Unknown (20 and 5.29%).

The largest universities in Decatur County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Graceland University-Lamoni (415 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Decatur County, IA are Family Practice Nurse (103 and 24.8%), Registered Nursing (65 and 15.7%), and General Business Administration & Management (43 and 10.4%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $32,500.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Decatur County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,195 (49.2% men and 50.8% 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 1,195 students enrolled in Decatur County, IA, 49.2% men and 50.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 611 records, of which 65.8% were women and 34.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
65 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
43 degrees awarded
General Psychology
17 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Decatur County, IA was Registered Nursing with 65 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Graceland University-Lamoni

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

415 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Graceland University-Lamoni with 415 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 130 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Decatur County, IA, which is 0.456 times less than the 285 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 278 degrees mean that there were 10.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 26 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 ($32,500) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,146) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,440) 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 Decatur County, IA was $113,900 in 2024, which is 0.342 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $109,500 to $113,900, a 4.02% increase. The homeownership rate in Decatur County, IA is 69.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

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

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Decatur County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.4%.

Housing

Property

$113,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,899

$2,130

Median Property Taxes

±$175

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

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

Rent vs Own

69.7%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 69.7% of the housing units in Decatur County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Decatur 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.

$59,044

Median Household Income

± $4,382

3.06k

Number of Households

± 235

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.06k households in Decatur County, IA grew to $59,044 from the previous year's value of $57,146.

The following chart displays the households in Decatur 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 Decatur 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 (75%)
Carpooled (10.2%)
Walked (7.81%)

In 2024, 75% of workers in Decatur County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.2%) and those who walked to work (7.81%).

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 Decatur County, IA have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.02% of the workforce in Decatur County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Decatur County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.4%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Decatur County, IA (1.03k out of 7.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Decatur 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, 25.7% of the children was living in poverty in Decatur County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.4%.

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.

Health

92.4% of the population of Decatur County, IA has health coverage, with 43.1% on employee plans, 17.8% on Medicaid, 15.3% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 1.36% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Decatur County, IA see 3,830 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,830 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1537 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 365 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,830 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Decatur County, IA

Primary care physicians in Decatur County, IA see an average of 3,830 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,830 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 24.3% between 18 and 34 years, 30.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.62%

Uninsured

43.1%

Employer Coverage

17.8%

Medicaid

15.3%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

1.36%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Decatur County, IA declined by 3.55% from 7.9% to 7.62%.

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