Poweshiek County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19157 Republican

Located in Iowa, Poweshiek County has a population of 18,545 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #1,959 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.7%. The median home value is $209,300, and the median household income is $67,391, which is 10% below the national median.

18,545
Population
#1,959 of 3,222
$67,391
Median Income
-10.3% #1,397 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,798 of 3,222
10.7%
Poverty Rate
-14.7% #957 of 3,222

Demographics

Poweshiek County has a population of 18,545, making it the #1,959 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.4%
Native Born
3.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Poweshiek County is $67,391, ranking #1,397 out of 3,222 counties — 10.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.7% and unemployment stands at 3.6%.

Income#1,397
$67,391
-10.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Per Capita#1,080
$38,109
-7.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poverty#957
10.7%
-14.7%
vs nation
70th percentile
Unemployment#1,088
3.6%
-31.3%
vs nation
66th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Poweshiek County is $209,300 (-25.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $883/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.2%.

Home Value#1,311
$209,300
-25.8%
vs nation
59th percentile
Rent#1,532
$883
-24.1%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#2,131
71.2%
+10.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Poweshiek County, 27.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 18.9% below the national average, ranking #977 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
27.3% −18.9% vs nation
Rank #977 of 3,222
70th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Poweshiek County is 78.2 years. 15.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#582
78.2
+4.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#759
15.9%
-18.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#883
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#489
32.9%
-11.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#578
5.1
-9.6%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#526
3.8
-15.0%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#91
4.5%
-56.9%
vs nation
97th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,675
26.5%
+0.4%
vs nation
47th percentile
Food Insecurity#551
11.1%
-22.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Substance Use

17.9% of adults in Poweshiek County smoke , 42.3% are obese , and 23.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,615
17.9%
-0.3%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,676
42.3%
+11.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,804
23.8%
+19.5%
vs nation
11th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#251
11.7
-40.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#295
9.3
-54.2%
vs nation
90th percentile

Families & Children

11.0% of children in Poweshiek County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 5.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#84
5.3
-75.8%
vs nation
97th percentile
Child Poverty#457
11.0%
-42.1%
vs nation
86th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Poweshiek County is 70.2%. The mean commute time is 20.6 min, which is 25.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.6 min −25.3% vs nation
Rank #2,754 of 3,222
15th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Poweshiek County voted Republican with a margin of 16.9%. The vote was 40.8% Dem / 57.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +16.9%
40.8% 57.7%
Dem 9,971 votes Rep
2020 REP +13.3%
42.5% 55.8%
Dem 10,140 votes Rep
2016 REP +6.8%
44.1% 50.9%
Dem 9,693 votes Rep
2012 DEM +9.1%
53.8% 44.7%
Dem 9,858 votes Rep
2008 DEM +11.7%
55% 43.3%
Dem 10,031 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Poweshiek County, Iowa

Poweshiek County, Iowa has a total population of 18,545, making it the 1,959th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Poweshiek County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Poweshiek County is $67,391, which ranks #1,397 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.6%.

The median home value in Poweshiek County is $209,300, 25.8% below the national median. Renters in Poweshiek County pay a median gross rent of $883 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Poweshiek County, 27.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.6 min.

Poweshiek County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).

All data for Poweshiek 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.