Fayette County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19065 Republican

Located in Iowa, Fayette County has a population of 19,288 residents and a median age of 43.9 years, making it the #1,924 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.0%. The median home value is $136,800, and the median household income is $60,165, which is 20% below the national median.

19,288
Population
#1,924 of 3,222
$60,165
Median Income
-19.9% #2,067 of 3,222
43.9 years
Median Age
+12.9% #962 of 3,222
12.0%
Poverty Rate
-4.8% #1,273 of 3,222

Demographics

Fayette County has a population of 19,288, making it the #1,924 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.9 years, which is 12.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Fayette County is $60,165, ranking #2,067 out of 3,222 counties — 19.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.0% and unemployment stands at 3.2%.

Income#2,067
$60,165
-19.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Per Capita#1,530
$35,469
-14.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poverty#1,273
12.0%
-4.8%
vs nation
61th percentile
Unemployment#791
3.2%
-39.9%
vs nation
75th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Fayette County is $136,800 (-51.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $881/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.5%.

Home Value#2,427
$136,800
-51.5%
vs nation
25th percentile
Rent#1,540
$881
-24.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#1,252
76.5%
+18.9%
vs nation
61th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Fayette County, 20.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 38.6% below the national average, ranking #1,877 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.7% −38.6% vs nation
Rank #1,877 of 3,222
42th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Fayette County is 77.1 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#892
77.1
+2.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,418
18.3%
-6.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,408
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#725
34.1%
-8.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#759
5.2
-7.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,315
4.3
-3.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Uninsured Rate#322
5.6%
-46.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,221
29.1%
+10.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Food Insecurity#834
12.1%
-16.0%
vs nation
74th percentile

Substance Use

20.2% of adults in Fayette County smoke , 39.7% are obese , and 24.7% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,313
20.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,962
39.7%
+4.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,995
24.7%
+24.4%
vs nation
5th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,067
17.1
-13.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#385
10.0
-44.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,465
19.0
-6.3%
vs nation
48th percentile

Families & Children

17.1% of children in Fayette County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,016
15.9
-27.2%
vs nation
66th percentile
Child Poverty#1,444
17.1%
-10.0%
vs nation
54th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Fayette County is 66.8%. The mean commute time is 24.1 min, which is 12.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
66.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.1 min −12.9% vs nation
Rank #2,139 of 3,222
34th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Fayette County voted Republican with a margin of 30.4%. The vote was 34% Dem / 64.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +30.4%
34% 64.4%
Dem 9,817 votes Rep
2020 REP +22.7%
37.6% 60.3%
Dem 10,186 votes Rep
2016 REP +19.6%
37.4% 57%
Dem 9,813 votes Rep
2012 DEM +11.9%
55.4% 43.5%
Dem 10,309 votes Rep
2008 DEM +16.6%
57.6% 41%
Dem 10,259 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Fayette County, Iowa

Fayette County, Iowa has a total population of 19,288, making it the 1,924th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fayette County is 43.9 years, which is 12.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Fayette County is $60,165, which ranks #2,067 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.

The median home value in Fayette County is $136,800, 51.5% below the national median. Renters in Fayette County pay a median gross rent of $881 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Fayette County, 20.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.1 min.

Fayette County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.1%).

All data for Fayette 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.