Lucas County, IA

County

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2024 Population

8,716

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.9

3.23% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.9%

9.3% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,793

9.02% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$120,200

2.74% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

3,950

3.26% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Lucas 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.

97.5% of the residents in Lucas County, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Lucas County, IA was $120,200, and the homeownership rate was 78.8%.

Most people in Lucas County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lucas County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Lucas County, IA borders Appanoose County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Marion County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Warren County, IA, and Wayne County, IA.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Lucas County, IA is home to a population of 8.72k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.06% of Lucas County, IA residents were born outside of the country (354 people).

In 2024, there were 48.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.19k people) in Lucas County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 168 Other (Hispanic) and 93 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Lucas County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lucas County, IA was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lucas County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.19k ± 67
Other (Hispanic)
168 ± 100
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
93 ± 33

2.93%

Hispanic Population

255 people

2.93% of the people in Lucas County, IA are hispanic (255 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lucas 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
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
Guatemala
8,189 ± 2,219 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

Foreign-Born Population

4.06%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

354 people

2.19%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

190 people

As of 2024, 4.06% of Lucas County, IA residents (354 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 Lucas County, IA was 2.19%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
186 ± 75
Gulf War (1990s)
80 ± 46
Gulf War (2001-)
56 ± 34

Lucas County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.33 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lucas County, IA employs 3.95k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lucas County, IA were Retail Trade (999 people), Manufacturing (488 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (439 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($119,000), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($86,354), and Wholesale Trade ($75,167).

Employment

Occupations

3.95k

2024 Value

± 328

−3.26%

1 Year decline

± 12.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lucas County, IA declined at a rate of −3.26%, from 4.08k employees to 3.95k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lucas County, IA, are Material Moving Occupations (405 people), Sales & Related Occupations (394 people), and Production Occupations (328 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lucas 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

3.95k

2024 Value

± 328

−3.26%

1 Year decline

± 12.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lucas County, IA declined at a rate of −3.26%, from 4.08k employees to 3.95k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lucas County, IA, are Retail Trade (999 people), Manufacturing (488 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (439 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lucas County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Lucas County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,553

Median earning men ± $3,457

$36,016

Median earning women ± $5,108

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($102,875), Public Administration ($78,750), and Wholesale Trade ($77,813).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,605), Public Administration ($62,833), and Information ($50,556).

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

23
Construction
17
Other Services (except Public Administration)
16
Transportation and Warehousing

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

$96.4k
Transportation and Warehousing
$20k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$9.63k
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 Lucas 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lucas County, IA was $120,200 in 2024, which is 0.361 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $117,000 to $120,200, a 2.74% increase. The homeownership rate in Lucas County, IA is 78.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lucas County, IA have an average commute time of 22.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lucas County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lucas County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.272%.

Housing

Property

$120,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,495

$2,921

Median Property Taxes

±$284

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 Lucas County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

78.8%

Homeownership

2024

56.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.8% of the housing units in Lucas County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 81.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lucas 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.

$61,793

Median Household Income

± $2,738

3.71k

Number of Households

± 312

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.71k households in Lucas County, IA declined from $61,793 from the previous year's value of $67,921.

The following chart displays the households in Lucas 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 Lucas County, IA is from Iowa.

0.435

2024 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (82.2%)
Carpooled (9.53%)
Worked At Home (4.31%)

In 2024, 82.2% of workers in Lucas County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.53%) and those who worked at home (4.31%).

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

22.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lucas County, IA have a shorter commute time (22.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.94% of the workforce in Lucas County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lucas County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.272%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lucas County, IA (1.29k out of 8.64k 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 Males 65 - 74, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lucas 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, 21.1% of the children was living in poverty in Lucas County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.2%.

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 184 in Lucas County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 48 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92% of the population of Lucas County, IA has health coverage, with 40.4% on employee plans, 21.8% on Medicaid, 16.4% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 1.01% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lucas County, IA see 968 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (968 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2172 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 875 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

968 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lucas County, IA

Primary care physicians in Lucas County, IA see an average of 968 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (968 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.8% under 18 years, 16.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.98%

Uninsured

40.4%

Employer Coverage

21.8%

Medicaid

16.4%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

1.01%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lucas County, IA grew by 0.741% from 7.92% to 7.98%.

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