Black Hawk County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Black Hawk County has a population of 131,049 residents and a median age of 35.7 years, making it the #499 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.9%. The median home value is $188,900, and the median household income is $66,417, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Black Hawk County has a population of 131,049, making it the #499 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Black Hawk County is $66,417, ranking #1,478 out of 3,222 counties — 11.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.9% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Black Hawk County is $188,900 (-33.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $989/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Black Hawk County, 30.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 10.1% below the national average, ranking #743 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Black Hawk County is 76.7 years. 17.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.0% of adults in Black Hawk County smoke , 39.1% are obese , and 23.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 12.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Black Hawk County is 5.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.1% of children in Black Hawk County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Black Hawk County is 67.5%. The mean commute time is 17.9 min, which is 35.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Black Hawk County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.2%. The vote was 50% Dem / 48.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Black Hawk County, Iowa
Black Hawk County, Iowa has a total population of 131,049, making it the 499th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Black Hawk County is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Black Hawk County is $66,417, which ranks #1,478 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.
The median home value in Black Hawk County is $188,900, 33.0% below the national median. Renters in Black Hawk County pay a median gross rent of $989 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Black Hawk County, 30.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.9 min.
Black Hawk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.2%).
All data for Black Hawk County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.