Van Buren County, IA

County

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2024 Population

7,241

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.7

0.223% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

15.1%

23.6% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$61,161

1.63% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$114,600

3.54% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

3,204

0.59% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Van Buren 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.

99.7% of the residents in Van Buren County, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Van Buren County, IA was $114,600, and the homeownership rate was 81.6%.

Most people in Van Buren County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Van Buren County, IA was 3 cars per household.

Van Buren County, IA borders Davis County, IA, Henry County, IA, Jefferson County, IA, Lee County, IA, Wapello County, IA, Clark County, MO, and Scotland County, MO.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Van Buren County, IA is home to a population of 7.24k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.621% of Van Buren County, IA residents were born outside of the country (45 people).

In 2024, there were 58.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.83k people) in Van Buren County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 116 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 81 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.7% of Van Buren County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Van Buren County, IA was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Van Buren County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.83k ± 69
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
116 ± 14
White (Hispanic)
81 ± 34

1.77%

Hispanic Population

128 people

1.77% of the people in Van Buren County, IA are hispanic (128 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Van Buren 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

0.621%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

45 people

0.926%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

67 people

As of 2024, 0.621% of Van Buren County, IA residents (45 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 Van Buren County, IA was 0.926%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
262 ± 68
Gulf War (1990s)
83 ± 36
Gulf War (2001-)
65 ± 31

Van Buren County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.16 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Van Buren County, IA employs 3.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Van Buren County, IA were Manufacturing (558 people), Retail Trade (444 people), and Construction (330 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($58,750), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($58,125), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($54,063).

Employment

Occupations

3.2k

2024 Value

± 259

−0.59%

1 Year decline

± 11.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Van Buren County, IA declined at a rate of −0.59%, from 3.22k employees to 3.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Van Buren County, IA, are Production Occupations (388 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (323 people), and Management Occupations (309 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Van Buren 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

3.2k

2024 Value

± 259

−0.59%

1 Year decline

± 11.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Van Buren County, IA declined at a rate of −0.59%, from 3.22k employees to 3.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Van Buren County, IA, are Manufacturing (558 people), Retail Trade (444 people), and Construction (330 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Van Buren County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Van Buren County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,107

Median earning men ± $7,440

$27,214

Median earning women ± $8,044

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($78,052), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($77,668), and Wholesale Trade ($57,688).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,432), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,226), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,313).

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

14
Construction
11
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

$27.5k
Manufacturing
$11k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$4.52k
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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, IA was $114,600 in 2024, which is 0.344 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $118,800 to $114,600, a 3.54% decrease. The homeownership rate in Van Buren County, IA is 81.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Van Buren County, IA have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Van Buren County, IA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Van Buren County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.263%.

Housing

Property

$114,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,520

$2,364

Median Property Taxes

±$216

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 Van Buren County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

81.6%

Homeownership

2024

59.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 81.6% of the housing units in Van Buren County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 83.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Van Buren 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.

$61,161

Median Household Income

± $6,234

2.9k

Number of Households

± 237

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.9k households in Van Buren County, IA grew to $61,161 from the previous year's value of $60,183.

The following chart displays the households in Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 (67.2%)
Carpooled (14%)
Worked At Home (12.7%)

In 2024, 67.2% of workers in Van Buren County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14%) and those who worked at home (12.7%).

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 Van Buren County, IA have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.19% of the workforce in Van Buren County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Van Buren County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Van Buren County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Van Buren County, IA have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Van Buren County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.263%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

15.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Van Buren County, IA (1.08k out of 7.16k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Van Buren County, IA is White, followed by Other 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, 22.3% of the children was living in poverty in Van Buren County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.3%.

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 116 in Van Buren County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 33.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

82.6% of the population of Van Buren County, IA has health coverage, with 30.4% on employee plans, 16.7% on Medicaid, 17.6% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 1.94% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Van Buren County, IA see 1,207 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,207 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 7256 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2422 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,207 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Van Buren County, IA

Primary care physicians in Van Buren County, IA see an average of 1,207 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,207 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.6% under 18 years, 14.8% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

17.4%

Uninsured

30.4%

Employer Coverage

16.7%

Medicaid

17.6%

Medicare

16%

Non-Group

1.94%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Van Buren County, IA grew by 43% from 12.2% to 17.4%.

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