Hamilton County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19079 Republican

Located in Iowa, Hamilton County has a population of 14,886 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #2,168 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.4%. The median home value is $156,400, and the median household income is $72,432, which is 4% below the national median.

14,886
Population
#2,168 of 3,222
$72,432
Median Income
-3.6% #1,018 of 3,222
41.7 years
Median Age
+7.2% #1,588 of 3,222
7.4%
Poverty Rate
-41.3% #263 of 3,222

Demographics

Hamilton County has a population of 14,886, making it the #2,168 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.6%
Native Born
6.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hamilton County is $72,432, ranking #1,018 out of 3,222 counties — 3.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.4% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.

Income#1,018
$72,432
-3.6%
vs nation
68th percentile
Per Capita#802
$40,191
-2.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poverty#263
7.4%
-41.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Unemployment#1,905
4.8%
-8.8%
vs nation
41th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hamilton County is $156,400 (-44.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $877/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.4%.

Home Value#2,115
$156,400
-44.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Rent#1,567
$877
-24.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Homeownership#1,815
73.4%
+13.9%
vs nation
44th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hamilton County, 22.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 32.5% below the national average, ranking #1,536 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.8% −32.5% vs nation
Rank #1,536 of 3,222
52th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hamilton County is 77.2 years. 14.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#865
77.2
+2.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#407
14.5%
-25.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Diabetes#744
9.4%
-15.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#343
32.0%
-14.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#349
4.9
-13.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#254
3.6
-19.9%
vs nation
92th percentile
Uninsured Rate#229
5.2%
-50.0%
vs nation
93th percentile
Physical Inactivity#950
23.5%
-10.9%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#391
10.5%
-27.1%
vs nation
88th percentile

Substance Use

15.4% of adults in Hamilton County smoke , 35.4% are obese , and 24.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#747
15.4%
-14.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Adult Obesity#799
35.4%
-6.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,954
24.5%
+23.5%
vs nation
6th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,918
23.1
+16.9%
vs nation
25th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#786
13.5
-24.5%
vs nation
68th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#873
14.4
-29.0%
vs nation
69th percentile

Families & Children

11.4% of children in Hamilton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 19.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,462
19.9
-8.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Child Poverty#502
11.4%
-40.0%
vs nation
84th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hamilton County is 70.7%. The mean commute time is 23.8 min, which is 13.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.8 min −13.9% vs nation
Rank #2,198 of 3,222
32th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hamilton County voted Republican with a margin of 33.3%. The vote was 32.8% Dem / 66.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +33.3%
32.8% 66.1%
Dem 7,573 votes Rep
2020 REP +26.6%
35.8% 62.4%
Dem 7,943 votes Rep
2016 REP +22.8%
35.8% 58.6%
Dem 7,589 votes Rep
2012 REP +2.6%
48% 50.6%
Dem 7,872 votes Rep
2008 DEM +1.3%
49.7% 48.4%
Dem 8,078 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hamilton County, Iowa

Hamilton County, Iowa has a total population of 14,886, making it the 2,168th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hamilton County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hamilton County is $72,432, which ranks #1,018 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.

The median home value in Hamilton County is $156,400, 44.5% below the national median. Renters in Hamilton County pay a median gross rent of $877 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hamilton County, 22.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.8 min.

Hamilton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.1%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (2.3%).

All data for Hamilton 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.