Cedar County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19031 Republican

Located in Iowa, Cedar County has a population of 18,349 residents and a median age of 44.0 years, making it the #1,972 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.3%. The median home value is $211,300, and the median household income is $80,602, which is 7% above the national median.

18,349
Population
#1,972 of 3,222
$80,602
Median Income
+7.3% #560 of 3,222
44.0 years
Median Age
+13.1% #931 of 3,222
7.3%
Poverty Rate
-41.8% #256 of 3,222

Demographics

Cedar County has a population of 18,349, making it the #1,972 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.0 years, which is 13.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cedar County is $80,602, ranking #560 out of 3,222 counties — 7.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.3% and unemployment stands at 2.2%.

Income#560
$80,602
+7.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Per Capita#681
$41,417
+0.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poverty#256
7.3%
-41.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Unemployment#354
2.2%
-57.6%
vs nation
89th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cedar County is $211,300 (-25.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $879/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.5%.

Home Value#1,294
$211,300
-25.0%
vs nation
60th percentile
Rent#1,553
$879
-24.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#423
81.5%
+26.5%
vs nation
87th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cedar County, 23.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.6% below the national average, ranking #1,403 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.7% −29.6% vs nation
Rank #1,403 of 3,222
56th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cedar County is 79.1 years. 13.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#373
79.1
+5.2%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#302
13.9%
-28.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Diabetes#459
8.9%
-20.0%
vs nation
85th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#843
34.6%
-7.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#422
5.0
-11.7%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#178
3.5
-21.7%
vs nation
94th percentile
Uninsured Rate#95
4.5%
-56.6%
vs nation
97th percentile
Physical Inactivity#948
23.5%
-10.9%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#177
9.3%
-35.4%
vs nation
94th percentile

Substance Use

15.7% of adults in Cedar County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 25.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#838
15.7%
-12.6%
vs nation
73th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,521
38.3%
+1.0%
vs nation
52th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,108
25.9%
+30.5%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,483
19.5
-1.2%
vs nation
42th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#725
13.0
-27.4%
vs nation
71th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#221
8.5
-58.1%
vs nation
92th percentile

Families & Children

9.3% of children in Cedar County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#329
8.9
-59.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Child Poverty#267
9.3%
-51.0%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cedar County is 75.1%. The mean commute time is 28.9 min, which is 4.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.9 min +4.5% vs nation
Rank #1,074 of 3,222
67th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cedar County voted Republican with a margin of 21.7%. The vote was 38.4% Dem / 60.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +21.7%
38.4% 60.1%
Dem 10,624 votes Rep
2020 REP +17.1%
40.5% 57.6%
Dem 10,703 votes Rep
2016 REP +18.1%
38.1% 56.2%
Dem 9,386 votes Rep
2012 DEM +4.4%
51.6% 47.2%
Dem 9,548 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.6%
54% 44.4%
Dem 9,665 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cedar County, Iowa

Cedar County, Iowa has a total population of 18,349, making it the 1,972nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cedar County is 44.0 years, which is 13.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cedar County is $80,602, which ranks #560 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.2%.

The median home value in Cedar County is $211,300, 25.0% below the national median. Renters in Cedar County pay a median gross rent of $879 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cedar County, 23.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.9 min.

Cedar County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Cedar 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.