Buena Vista County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Buena Vista County has a population of 20,753 residents and a median age of 35.6 years, making it the #1,838 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.8%. The median home value is $159,500, and the median household income is $71,719, which is 5% below the national median.
Demographics
Buena Vista County has a population of 20,753, making it the #1,838 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% 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 Buena Vista County is $71,719, ranking #1,067 out of 3,222 counties — 4.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.8% and unemployment stands at 5.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Buena Vista County is $159,500 (-43.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $894/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Buena Vista County, 22.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.0% below the national average, ranking #1,617 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Buena Vista County is 79.4 years. 18.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.9% of adults in Buena Vista County smoke , 41.0% are obese , and 20.2% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.3 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
16.6% of children in Buena Vista County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Buena Vista County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 15.9 min, which is 42.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Buena Vista County voted Republican with a margin of 33.2%. The vote was 32.8% Dem / 66% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Buena Vista County, Iowa
Buena Vista County, Iowa has a total population of 20,753, making it the 1,838th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buena Vista County is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Buena Vista County is $71,719, which ranks #1,067 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.5%.
The median home value in Buena Vista County is $159,500, 43.4% below the national median. Renters in Buena Vista County pay a median gross rent of $894 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Buena Vista County, 22.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 15.9 min.
Buena Vista County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 52.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (29.4%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (9.5%).
All data for Buena Vista 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.