Story County, IA

County

Add Comparison

2023 Population

98,592

0.0193% 1-year growth

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

1.89% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

18.6%

5.26% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$69,006

4.24% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$243,600

6.33% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

52,605

1.23% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Story County, IA had a population of 98.6k people with a median age of 27 and a median household income of $69,006. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Story County, IA grew from 98,573 to 98,592, a 0.0193% increase and its median household income grew from $66,197 to $69,006, a 4.24% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Story County, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (81.4%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (6.76%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.78%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.64%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.69%).

None of the households in Story 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.

94.7% of the residents in Story County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Story County, IA are Iowa State University (8,469 degrees awarded in 2022) and PCI Academy-Ames (85 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Story County, IA was $243,600, and the homeownership rate was 56%.

Most people in Story County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Story County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Story County, IA borders Boone County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Hardin County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Marshall County, IA, and Polk County, IA.

United States Iowa Ames, IA

Population & Diversity

Story County, IA is home to a population of 98.6k people, from which 94.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.29% of Story County, IA residents were born outside of the country (8.18k people).

In 2023, there were 12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (80.2k people) in Story County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.66k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 3.73k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.7%

2023 Citizenship

93.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94.7% of Story County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Story County, IA was 93.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Story County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
80.2k ± 397
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
6.66k ± 324
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
3.73k ± 547

5.01%

Hispanic Population

4.94k people

5.01% of the people in Story County, IA are hispanic (4.94k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Story 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
42,604 ± 5,034 people
India
12,351 ± 2,723 people
Vietnam
7,795 ± 2,165 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,604 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,351 and Vietnam with 7,795.

Foreign-Born Population

8.29%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.18k people

8.99%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

8.86k people

As of 2023, 8.29% of Story County, IA residents (8.18k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Story County, IA was 8.99%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,107 ± 306
Vietnam
1,074 ± 209
Gulf War (1990s)
303 ± 81

Story County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.03 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Story County, IA employs 52.6k people. The largest industries in Story County, IA are Educational Services (12,701 people), Retail Trade (5,886 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (5,868 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($177,813), Public Administration ($72,791), and Utilities ($72,417).

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,745. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.442, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

52.6k

2023 Value

± 1,664

−1.23%

1 Year decline

± 4.61%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Story County, IA declined at a rate of −1.23%, from 53.3k employees to 52.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Story County, IA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,819 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,262 people), and Management Occupations (4,791 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Story County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

52.6k

2023 Value

± 1,664

−1.23%

1 Year decline

± 4.61%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Story County, IA declined at a rate of −1.23%, from 53.3k employees to 52.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Story County, IA, are Educational Services (12,701 people), Retail Trade (5,886 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (5,868 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Story County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Story County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,461

Median earning men ± $2,309

$31,455

Median earning women ± $2,254

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($83,101), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,114), and Manufacturing ($60,593).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($96,250), Public Administration ($64,327), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,800).

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

147
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
133
Other Services (except Public Administration)
124
Construction

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$389k
Manufacturing
$345k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$155k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Story County, IA went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (40.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.81%).

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

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (40.2%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.81%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Story County, IA went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (40.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.81%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Story County, IA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Story County, IA awarded 8,554 degrees. The student population of Story County, IA in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 16,421 male students and 13,674 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Story County, IA are White (6,357 and 81.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (460 and 5.88%), Unknown (301 and 3.84%), and Asian (291 and 3.72%).

The largest universities in Story County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Iowa State University (8,469 and 99%) and PCI Academy-Ames (85 and 0.994%).

The most popular majors in Story County, IA are Mechanical Engineering (406 and 4.75%), Information Technology (326 and 3.81%), and General Marketing & Marketing Management (300 and 3.51%).

The median tuition cost in Story County, IA for a public four year colleges is $8,678 for in-state students and $25,162 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Story County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 90.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 29%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 30,095 (54.6% men and 45.4% 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 2022 there were 30,095 students enrolled in Story County, IA, 54.6% men and 45.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 21,725 records, of which 46.1% were women and 53.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
406 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
300 degrees awarded
Logistics, Materials, & Supply Chain Management
235 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Story County, IA was Mechanical Engineering with 406 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Iowa State University
8,469 degrees awarded
PCI Academy-Ames
85 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Iowa State University with 8,469 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 4,521 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Story County, IA, which is 1.12 times more than the 4,033 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,357 degrees mean that there were 13.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 460 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

Public, 4-year or above ($8,678) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,455) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.66% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.685% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (751k), Some college (564k), and Bachelors Degree (469k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Story County, IA was $243,600 in 2023, which is 0.803 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $229,100 to $243,600, a 6.33% increase. The homeownership rate in Story County, IA is 56%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Story County, IA have an average commute time of 18.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Story County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Story County, IA is $69,006. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Story County, IA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $144,236, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 102, with respective values of $86,522 and $84,769.

In 2023, 18.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Story County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.806%.

Housing

Property

$243,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,931

$21,668

Median Property Taxes

±$946

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

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

Rent vs Own

56%

Homeownership

2023

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 56% of the housing units in Story County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 55.7%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 12
Census Tract 106
Census Tract 102

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Story County, IA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $144,236, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 102, with respective values of $86,522 and $84,769.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Story County, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$69,006

Median Household Income

± $2,382

38.7k

Number of Households

± 1,504

In 2023, the median household income of the 38.7k households in Story County, IA grew to $69,006 from the previous year's value of $66,197.

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

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2022, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.723% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (70.8%)
Worked At Home (10.9%)
Carpooled (7.02%)

In 2023, 70.8% of workers in Story County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.9%) and those who carpooled to work (7.02%).

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

18.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Story County, IA have a shorter commute time (18.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.26% of the workforce in Story County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 18.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Story County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.806%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Story County, IA (16k out of 86.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Story County, IA is White, followed by Asian 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 2023, 8.2% of the children was living in poverty in Story County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.4%.

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

95.4% of the population of Story County, IA has health coverage, with 65.3% on employee plans, 7.69% on Medicaid, 9.78% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Story County, IA see 1535 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.19% increase from the previous year (1517 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1950 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 431 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,535 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Story County, IA

Primary care physicians in Story County, IA see an average of 1,535 patients per year. This represents a 1.19% increase from the previous year (1,517 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.4% under 18 years, 39.5% between 18 and 34 years, 27.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.55%

Uninsured

65.3%

Employer Coverage

7.69%

Medicaid

9.78%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

1.27%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Story County, IA declined by 10.1% from 5.06% to 4.55%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 49.7 in Story County, IA.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 32.5% in Story County, IA.

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