Decatur County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19053 Republican

Located in Iowa, Decatur County has a population of 7,759 residents and a median age of 36.1 years, making it the #2,668 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.6%. The median home value is $113,900, and the median household income is $59,044, which is 21% below the national median.

7,759
Population
#2,668 of 3,222
$59,044
Median Income
-21.4% #2,166 of 3,222
36.1 years
Median Age
-7.2% #2,860 of 3,222
14.6%
Poverty Rate
+15.6% #1,863 of 3,222

Demographics

Decatur County has a population of 7,759, making it the #2,668 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.1 years, which is 7.2% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Decatur County is $59,044, ranking #2,166 out of 3,222 counties — 21.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.6% and unemployment stands at 1.9%.

Income#2,166
$59,044
-21.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Per Capita#2,425
$30,020
-27.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poverty#1,863
14.6%
+15.6%
vs nation
42th percentile
Unemployment#267
1.9%
-63.5%
vs nation
92th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Decatur County is $113,900 (-59.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $611/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.7%.

Home Value#2,783
$113,900
-59.6%
vs nation
13th percentile
Rent#3,032
$611
-47.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Homeownership#2,326
69.7%
+8.3%
vs nation
28th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Decatur County, 23.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.2% below the national average, ranking #1,426 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.5% −30.2% vs nation
Rank #1,426 of 3,222
56th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Decatur County is 76.0 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,267
76.0
+1.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,062
17.0%
-13.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Diabetes#1,022
9.8%
-12.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#747
34.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#495
5.0
-10.7%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#832
4.0
-10.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Uninsured Rate#399
5.8%
-44.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,875
27.4%
+3.9%
vs nation
40th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,060
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

18.3% of adults in Decatur County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 22.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,755
18.3%
+1.9%
vs nation
44th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,450
38.1%
+0.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,630
22.9%
+15.5%
vs nation
16th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.0 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,576
20.0
-1.2%
vs nation
44th percentile

Families & Children

25.7% of children in Decatur County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 13.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#736
13.3
-39.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Child Poverty#2,558
25.7%
+35.3%
vs nation
19th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Decatur County is 62.7%. The mean commute time is 24.0 min, which is 13.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.0 min −13.0% vs nation
Rank #2,144 of 3,222
33th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Decatur County voted Republican with a margin of 47.0%. The vote was 25.7% Dem / 72.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +47.0%
25.7% 72.7%
Dem 3,727 votes Rep
2020 REP +39.3%
29.4% 68.7%
Dem 3,804 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.6%
32.4% 62%
Dem 3,703 votes Rep
2012 REP +4.0%
47% 51%
Dem 3,812 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.8%
48.4% 49.2%
Dem 4,102 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Decatur County, Iowa

Decatur County, Iowa has a total population of 7,759, making it the 2,668th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Decatur County is 36.1 years, which is 7.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Decatur County is $59,044, which ranks #2,166 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.9%.

The median home value in Decatur County is $113,900, 59.6% below the national median. Renters in Decatur County pay a median gross rent of $611 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Decatur County, 23.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.0 min.

Decatur County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).

All data for Decatur 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.