Story County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Story County has a population of 100,466 residents and a median age of 26.9 years, making it the #619 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.2%. The median home value is $258,700, and the median household income is $69,685, which is 7% below the national median.
Demographics
Story County has a population of 100,466, making it the #619 most populous county in the US. The median age is 26.9 years, which is 30.8% below 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 Story County is $69,685, ranking #1,222 out of 3,222 counties — 7.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.2% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Story County is $258,700 (-8.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,018/mo and the homeownership rate is 55.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Story County, 54.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.8% above the national average, ranking #56 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Story County is 81.5 years. 13.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.3% of adults in Story County smoke , 35.5% are obese , and 23.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 7.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Story County is 1.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 4.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
9.2% of children in Story County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 3.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Story County is 68.5%. The mean commute time is 19.8 min, which is 28.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Story County voted Democratic with a margin of 10.4%. The vote was 54.4% Dem / 44% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Story County, Iowa
Story County, Iowa has a total population of 100,466, making it the 619th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Story County is 26.9 years, which is 30.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Story County is $69,685, which ranks #1,222 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Story County is $258,700, 8.2% below the national median. Renters in Story County pay a median gross rent of $1,018 per month. The homeownership rate is 55.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Story County, 54.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.8 min.
Story County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.0% of the population, followed by Asian (non-Hispanic) (6.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.2%).
All data for Story 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.