Van Buren County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19177 Republican

Located in Iowa, Van Buren County has a population of 7,241 residents and a median age of 44.7 years, making it the #2,720 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.1%. The median home value is $114,600, and the median household income is $61,161, which is 19% below the national median.

7,241
Population
#2,720 of 3,222
$61,161
Median Income
-18.6% #1,969 of 3,222
44.7 years
Median Age
+14.9% #790 of 3,222
15.1%
Poverty Rate
+19.9% #1,961 of 3,222

Demographics

Van Buren County has a population of 7,241, making it the #2,720 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.4%
Native Born
0.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Van Buren County is $61,161, ranking #1,969 out of 3,222 counties — 18.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.1% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.

Income#1,969
$61,161
-18.6%
vs nation
39th percentile
Per Capita#1,777
$33,900
-17.8%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poverty#1,961
15.1%
+19.9%
vs nation
39th percentile
Unemployment#1,371
4.1%
-22.6%
vs nation
57th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Van Buren County is $114,600 (-59.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $622/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.6%.

Home Value#2,770
$114,600
-59.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Rent#3,008
$622
-46.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Homeownership#404
81.6%
+26.8%
vs nation
87th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Van Buren County, 18.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.2% below the national average, ranking #2,214 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.8% −44.2% vs nation
Rank #2,214 of 3,222
31th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Van Buren County is 77.5 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#762
77.5
+3.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,364
18.1%
-7.5%
vs nation
57th percentile
Diabetes#1,410
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#893
34.8%
-6.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#760
5.2
-7.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,235
4.2
-4.9%
vs nation
61th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,297
8.3%
-20.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,084
28.4%
+7.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Food Insecurity#753
11.8%
-18.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Substance Use

20.0% of adults in Van Buren County smoke , 41.0% are obese , and 23.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,267
20.0%
+11.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,354
41.0%
+8.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,747
23.4%
+17.9%
vs nation
13th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.6 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,535
19.6
-3.5%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

22.3% of children in Van Buren County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,585
21.0
-3.7%
vs nation
47th percentile
Child Poverty#2,220
22.3%
+17.4%
vs nation
29th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Van Buren County is 69.7%. The mean commute time is 24.4 min, which is 11.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.4 min −11.6% vs nation
Rank #2,067 of 3,222
36th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Van Buren County voted Republican with a margin of 55.4%. The vote was 21.5% Dem / 76.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +55.4%
21.5% 76.9%
Dem 3,622 votes Rep
2020 REP +52.3%
23.1% 75.4%
Dem 3,791 votes Rep
2016 REP +47.7%
23.9% 71.6%
Dem 3,526 votes Rep
2012 REP +18.6%
39.5% 58.1%
Dem 3,540 votes Rep
2008 REP +12.2%
42.8% 55%
Dem 3,608 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Van Buren County, Iowa

Van Buren County, Iowa has a total population of 7,241, making it the 2,720th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Van Buren County is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Van Buren County is $61,161, which ranks #1,969 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in Van Buren County is $114,600, 59.3% below the national median. Renters in Van Buren County pay a median gross rent of $622 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Van Buren County, 18.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 82.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.4 min.

Van Buren County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.8%).

All data for Van Buren 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.