Webster County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19187 Republican

Located in Iowa, Webster County has a population of 36,886 residents and a median age of 39.7 years, making it the #1,289 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The median home value is $153,800, and the median household income is $68,975, which is 8% below the national median.

36,886
Population
#1,289 of 3,222
$68,975
Median Income
-8.2% #1,268 of 3,222
39.7 years
Median Age
+2.1% #2,196 of 3,222
12.9%
Poverty Rate
+2.0% #1,484 of 3,222

Demographics

Webster County has a population of 36,886, making it the #1,289 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.0%
Native Born
3.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Webster County is $68,975, ranking #1,268 out of 3,222 counties — 8.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.9% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.

Income#1,268
$68,975
-8.2%
vs nation
61th percentile
Per Capita#1,429
$35,947
-12.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poverty#1,484
12.9%
+2.0%
vs nation
54th percentile
Unemployment#1,892
4.8%
-9.2%
vs nation
41th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Webster County is $153,800 (-45.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $785/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.3%.

Home Value#2,178
$153,800
-45.4%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#2,217
$785
-32.5%
vs nation
31th percentile
Homeownership#2,256
70.3%
+9.2%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Webster County, 22.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.7% below the national average, ranking #1,651 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.0% −34.7% vs nation
Rank #1,651 of 3,222
49th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Webster County is 74.5 years. 14.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,797
74.5
-0.9%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#335
14.1%
-27.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Diabetes#1,088
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,592
37.7%
+1.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#339
4.9
-13.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#358
3.7
-17.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Uninsured Rate#372
5.7%
-45.2%
vs nation
88th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,086
24.0%
-9.0%
vs nation
66th percentile
Food Insecurity#722
11.7%
-18.8%
vs nation
77th percentile

Substance Use

14.9% of adults in Webster County smoke , 38.7% are obese , and 23.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#617
14.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,658
38.7%
+2.1%
vs nation
47th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,837
23.9%
+20.2%
vs nation
10th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#450
18.2
-43.6%
vs nation
79th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Webster County is 5.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#747
5.9
-26.5%
vs nation
51th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,189
17.7
-10.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,048
15.4
-13.9%
vs nation
58th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,054
15.7
-22.6%
vs nation
63th percentile

Families & Children

17.2% of children in Webster County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#887
7.3
+7.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,473
20.1
-8.1%
vs nation
51th percentile
Child Poverty#1,463
17.2%
-9.4%
vs nation
54th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Webster County is 63.7%. The mean commute time is 21.7 min, which is 21.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.7 min −21.3% vs nation
Rank #2,579 of 3,222
20th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Webster County voted Republican with a margin of 31.1%. The vote was 33.8% Dem / 64.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +31.1%
33.8% 64.9%
Dem 16,706 votes Rep
2020 REP +24.3%
37.1% 61.4%
Dem 17,822 votes Rep
2016 REP +21.8%
36.5% 58.3%
Dem 17,239 votes Rep
2012 DEM +5.5%
52.2% 46.7%
Dem 18,118 votes Rep
2008 DEM +8.5%
53.4% 44.9%
Dem 18,554 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Webster County, Iowa

Webster County, Iowa has a total population of 36,886, making it the 1,289th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Webster County is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Webster County is $68,975, which ranks #1,268 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.

The median home value in Webster County is $153,800, 45.4% below the national median. Renters in Webster County pay a median gross rent of $785 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Webster County, 22.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.7 min.

Webster County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).

All data for Webster 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.