Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Pottawattamie County has a population of 93,424 residents and a median age of 40.1 years, making it the #655 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.1%. The median home value is $195,700, and the median household income is $73,602, which is 2% below the national median.
Demographics
Pottawattamie County has a population of 93,424, making it the #655 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Pottawattamie County is $73,602, ranking #942 out of 3,222 counties — 2.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.1% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Pottawattamie County is $195,700 (-30.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,018/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Pottawattamie County, 23.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.9% below the national average, ranking #1,412 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Pottawattamie County is 75.5 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.4% of adults in Pottawattamie County smoke , 42.6% are obese , and 24.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Pottawattamie County is 3.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.4% of children in Pottawattamie County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Pottawattamie County is 65.7%. The mean commute time is 21.8 min, which is 21.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Pottawattamie County voted Republican with a margin of 20.0%. The vote was 39.3% Dem / 59.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Pottawattamie County, Iowa has a total population of 93,424, making it the 655th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pottawattamie County is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Pottawattamie County is $73,602, which ranks #942 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Pottawattamie County is $195,700, 30.6% below the national median. Renters in Pottawattamie County pay a median gross rent of $1,018 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Pottawattamie County, 23.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.8 min.
Pottawattamie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
All data for Pottawattamie 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.