COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Mahaska County

Iowa · 21,522 residents · 571 sq mi

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The short version

Mahaska County is a county of 21,522 people in Iowa. The typical home is worth $36,700. About 13% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Median rent is $289 a month. Owners hold 70% of the housing stock. Median household income is $23,115, under the $30,130 national median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 34.8

US median: 33.0

Less educated

13% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 30%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

21,522

−4%vs 2000

vs 22,335 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

34.8

−7%vs 2000

vs 37.2 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

571 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202422K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.1%(1,538)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.7%(1,666)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.2%(1,546)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.9%(1,480)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.7%(1,434)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414.7%(3,173)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.5%(2,908)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.4%(2,024)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.1%(1,950)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 749.6%(2,056)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.9%(1,273)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2.2%(474)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$23,115

−18%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $37,314 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,819

−41%vs 2000

vs $18,232 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

13.0%

+3.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.8% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$36,700

−30%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $69,100 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$289

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $420 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

70.0%

−1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 71.1% in 2000

30.0% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.7%(21,609)

Black0.6%(140)

Hispanic / Latino0.9%(190)

Asian0.9%(191)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.9%(21,292)

Black0.2%(53)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(123)

Asian0.4%(79)

Other0.5%(98)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican1.5%(331)

Puerto Rican0.3%(74)

Central American0.2%(45)

Guatemalan0.2%(45)

Cuban0.1%(22)

Asian origin

Japanese0.4%(86)

Laotian0.3%(58)

Filipino0.2%(46)

Korean0.1%(18)

Thai0%(9)

Indonesian0%(7)

Cambodian0%(3)

Pacific Islander origin

Marshallese0.3%(64)

Samoan0%(5)

Chamorro0%(4)

Ancestry

German20.5%(4,508)

English15.7%(3,455)

Dutch12%(2,650)

Irish11.7%(2,585)

American6.2%(1,364)

Norwegian1.8%(407)

Swedish1.5%(338)

Scottish1.5%(335)

French1.4%(309)

Scotch-Irish0.9%(201)

Czech0.9%(196)

Polish0.7%(150)

+ 30 more ancestry groups with data

Welsh0.6%(134)

Hungarian0.6%(124)

Italian0.5%(110)

Subsaharan African0.4%(86)

Greek0.4%(78)

West Indian0.3%(67)

Danish0.2%(54)

Haitian0.2%(46)

Bulgarian0.2%(40)

Belgian0.2%(35)

Finnish0.1%(30)

Slovene0.1%(30)

Iranian0.1%(25)

Arab0.1%(22)

Slovak0.1%(20)

Swiss0.1%(20)

Lebanese0.1%(18)

Jamaican0.1%(18)

Russian0.1%(17)

British0.1%(16)

Portuguese0%(11)

French Canadian0%(8)

Nigerian0%(6)

Austrian0%(5)

Moroccan0%(4)

Romanian0%(4)

Armenian0%(1)

Canadian0%(1)

Croatian0%(1)

Somali0%(1)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Dutch population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

13.1%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.5% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

74.8%

−7.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 82.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.9%

−0.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

25.1 min

+95%vs 2000

vs 12.9 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married33.6%(3,025)

Married52.1%(4,694)

Widowed3%(267)

Divorced11.3%(1,018)

Women 15+

Never married26.4%(2,288)

Married54.7%(4,747)

Widowed9.5%(826)

Divorced9.4%(820)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

4.7%

−2.8 ptssince 2013

from 7.5% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

54.1%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 54.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

16.9%

−2.3 ptssince 2020

from 19.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

20.6%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 19.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

23.6%

+2.1 ptssince 2020

from 21.5% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.4%

−0.7 ptssince 2020

from 2.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

68.5%

−2.8 ptssince 2020

from 71.3% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

41.3%

+2.9 ptssince 2020

from 38.4% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)22.1%(215)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)16.8%(163)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era39%(379)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.5%(34)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II2.9%(28)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 972 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

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