Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19033 Republican

Located in Iowa, Cerro Gordo County has a population of 42,632 residents and a median age of 44.0 years, making it the #1,152 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $166,400, and the median household income is $68,189, which is 9% below the national median.

42,632
Population
#1,152 of 3,222
$68,189
Median Income
-9.3% #1,322 of 3,222
44.0 years
Median Age
+13.1% #932 of 3,222
10.6%
Poverty Rate
-16.2% #912 of 3,222

Demographics

Cerro Gordo County has a population of 42,632, making it the #1,152 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

97.4%
Native Born
2.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cerro Gordo County is $68,189, ranking #1,322 out of 3,222 counties — 9.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.

Income#1,322
$68,189
-9.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Per Capita#663
$41,560
+0.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poverty#912
10.6%
-16.2%
vs nation
72th percentile
Unemployment#499
2.6%
-50.7%
vs nation
85th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cerro Gordo County is $166,400 (-41.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $850/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.4%.

Home Value#1,878
$166,400
-41.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#1,743
$850
-26.9%
vs nation
46th percentile
Homeownership#2,255
70.4%
+9.2%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cerro Gordo County, 24.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.9% below the national average, ranking #1,373 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.0% −28.9% vs nation
Rank #1,373 of 3,222
57th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cerro Gordo County is 76.5 years. 15.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,098
76.5
+1.8%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#756
15.9%
-18.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#1,084
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#391
32.3%
-13.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#395
5.0
-12.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#565
3.8
-14.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Uninsured Rate#171
5.0%
-52.4%
vs nation
95th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,551
25.9%
-1.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Food Insecurity#471
10.8%
-25.0%
vs nation
85th percentile

Substance Use

16.7% of adults in Cerro Gordo County smoke , 38.4% are obese , and 23.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,178
16.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
63th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,558
38.4%
+1.3%
vs nation
51th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,710
23.3%
+17.2%
vs nation
14th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#490
18.9
-41.6%
vs nation
77th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Cerro Gordo County is 4.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 25.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#504
4.4
-45.5%
vs nation
67th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,124
25.8
+30.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#466
10.8
-39.4%
vs nation
81th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,064
15.8
-22.2%
vs nation
62th percentile

Families & Children

13.1% of children in Cerro Gordo County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 16.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#897
7.3
+7.8%
vs nation
34th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,111
16.8
-23.3%
vs nation
63th percentile
Child Poverty#789
13.1%
-31.0%
vs nation
75th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cerro Gordo County is 71.1%. The mean commute time is 17.7 min, which is 35.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
17.7 min −35.8% vs nation
Rank #3,025 of 3,222
6th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cerro Gordo County voted Republican with a margin of 11.6%. The vote was 43.4% Dem / 55% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +11.6%
43.4% 55%
Dem 22,942 votes Rep
2020 REP +6.3%
46% 52.3%
Dem 23,801 votes Rep
2016 REP +7.7%
43.5% 51.2%
Dem 22,633 votes Rep
2012 DEM +13.3%
56.1% 42.8%
Dem 23,548 votes Rep
2008 DEM +20.9%
59.7% 38.8%
Dem 24,140 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

Cerro Gordo County, Iowa has a total population of 42,632, making it the 1,152nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cerro Gordo County is 44.0 years, which is 13.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cerro Gordo County is $68,189, which ranks #1,322 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.

The median home value in Cerro Gordo County is $166,400, 41.0% below the national median. Renters in Cerro Gordo County pay a median gross rent of $850 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cerro Gordo County, 24.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.7 min.

Cerro Gordo County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).

All data for Cerro Gordo 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.