Wapello County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Wapello County has a population of 35,362 residents and a median age of 39.2 years, making it the #1,333 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.8%. The median home value is $125,100, and the median household income is $64,766, which is 14% below the national median.
Demographics
Wapello County has a population of 35,362, making it the #1,333 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.2 years, which is 0.8% 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 Wapello County is $64,766, ranking #1,652 out of 3,222 counties — 13.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.8% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wapello County is $125,100 (-55.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $920/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wapello County, 19.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.8% below the national average, ranking #2,072 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wapello County is 74.5 years. 19.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.9% of adults in Wapello County smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Wapello County is 4.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 27.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.9% of children in Wapello County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wapello County is 60.8%. The mean commute time is 21.7 min, which is 21.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Wapello County voted Republican with a margin of 31.5%. The vote was 33.6% Dem / 65.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wapello County, Iowa
Wapello County, Iowa has a total population of 35,362, making it the 1,333rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wapello County is 39.2 years, which is 0.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wapello County is $64,766, which ranks #1,652 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.
The median home value in Wapello County is $125,100, 55.6% below the national median. Renters in Wapello County pay a median gross rent of $920 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wapello County, 19.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.7 min.
Wapello County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 75.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
All data for Wapello 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.