Delaware County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19055 Republican

Located in Iowa, Delaware County has a population of 17,558 residents and a median age of 43.4 years, making it the #2,007 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 $177,900, and the median household income is $74,989, which is 0% below the national median.

17,558
Population
#2,007 of 3,222
$74,989
Median Income
-0.2% #841 of 3,222
43.4 years
Median Age
+11.6% #1,090 of 3,222
7.8%
Poverty Rate
-38.4% #331 of 3,222

Demographics

Delaware County has a population of 17,558, making it the #2,007 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.7%
Native Born
0.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Delaware County is $74,989, ranking #841 out of 3,222 counties — 0.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.8% and unemployment stands at 2.0%.

Income#841
$74,989
-0.2%
vs nation
74th percentile
Per Capita#678
$41,445
+0.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poverty#331
7.8%
-38.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Unemployment#296
2.0%
-61.3%
vs nation
91th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Delaware County is $177,900 (-36.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $764/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.6%.

Home Value#1,671
$177,900
-36.9%
vs nation
48th percentile
Rent#2,385
$764
-34.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Homeownership#693
79.6%
+23.6%
vs nation
79th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Delaware County, 22.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.1% below the national average, ranking #1,568 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.6% −33.1% vs nation
Rank #1,568 of 3,222
51th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Delaware County is 79.3 years. 13.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#341
79.3
+5.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#250
13.6%
-30.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Diabetes#460
8.9%
-20.0%
vs nation
85th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#267
31.5%
-15.6%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#459
5.0
-11.0%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#200
3.5
-21.0%
vs nation
94th percentile
Uninsured Rate#236
5.3%
-49.7%
vs nation
93th percentile
Physical Inactivity#931
23.4%
-11.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#133
8.9%
-38.2%
vs nation
96th percentile

Substance Use

15.9% of adults in Delaware County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 25.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#908
15.9%
-11.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,240
40.6%
+7.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,079
25.4%
+28.0%
vs nation
2th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,857
22.4
+13.8%
vs nation
27th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#846
13.9
-22.0%
vs nation
66th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#734
13.3
-34.5%
vs nation
74th percentile

Families & Children

9.7% of children in Delaware County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#396
9.7
-55.7%
vs nation
87th percentile
Child Poverty#303
9.7%
-48.9%
vs nation
90th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Delaware County is 76.9%. The mean commute time is 22.4 min, which is 18.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.4 min −18.9% vs nation
Rank #2,464 of 3,222
24th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Delaware County voted Republican with a margin of 39.6%. The vote was 29.5% Dem / 69.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +39.6%
29.5% 69.1%
Dem 10,112 votes Rep
2020 REP +35.0%
31.6% 66.6%
Dem 10,003 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.8%
32.3% 62.1%
Dem 9,165 votes Rep
2012 REP +0.2%
49.4% 49.6%
Dem 9,323 votes Rep
2008 DEM +6.0%
52.2% 46.2%
Dem 8,901 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Delaware County, Iowa

Delaware County, Iowa has a total population of 17,558, making it the 2,007th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Delaware County is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Delaware County is $74,989, which ranks #841 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.2% 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 2.0%.

The median home value in Delaware County is $177,900, 36.9% below the national median. Renters in Delaware County pay a median gross rent of $764 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Delaware County, 22.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.4 min.

Delaware County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.7%).

All data for Delaware 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.