Buchanan County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Buchanan County has a population of 20,694 residents and a median age of 40.3 years, making it the #1,840 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.6%. The median home value is $176,000, and the median household income is $78,236, which is 4% above the national median.
Demographics
Buchanan County has a population of 20,694, making it the #1,840 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above 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 Buchanan County is $78,236, ranking #660 out of 3,222 counties — 4.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.6% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Buchanan County is $176,000 (-37.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $848/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Buchanan County, 22.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.7% below the national average, ranking #1,602 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Buchanan County is 79.0 years. 13.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.5% of adults in Buchanan County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 28.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
12.4% of children in Buchanan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Buchanan County is 69.8%. The mean commute time is 25.7 min, which is 6.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Buchanan County voted Republican with a margin of 28.2%. The vote was 35.2% Dem / 63.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Buchanan County, Iowa
Buchanan County, Iowa has a total population of 20,694, making it the 1,840th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buchanan County is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Buchanan County is $78,236, which ranks #660 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.
The median home value in Buchanan County is $176,000, 37.6% below the national median. Renters in Buchanan County pay a median gross rent of $848 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Buchanan County, 22.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.7 min.
Buchanan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.9%).
All data for Buchanan 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.