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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Mills County

Iowa · 14,484 residents · 437 sq mi
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The short version

Mills County is a county of 14,484 people in Iowa. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 1%. At a median age of 43.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. That is roughly 22% ahead of the Iowa median. 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 43.1
US median: 38.8
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

14,484
Unchangedsince 2000
from 14,547 in 2000
1990 – 2025
43.1
+13%since 2000
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
437 sq mi
Population, 19902024
13K14K14K15K15K19902000201020202024Mills County
202415K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.5%(793)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.1%(1,022)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.6%(1,095)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.9%(998)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.2%(611)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 349.3%(1,340)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412%(1,738)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413%(1,882)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415.3%(2,217)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.5%(1,813)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.9%(710)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(265)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$75,137
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,428 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$35,711
+91%since 2000
from $18,736 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
50.1%
+16.0 ptssince 2009
from 34.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
6.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Finance & insurance8.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade8.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 10%
Professional, scientific, technical6.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services2.1%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$178,500
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$837
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $465 in 2000
US average: $1,124
80.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 79.5% in 2000
19.4% rent
2.67 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.55 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
2.4
−3%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic97.2%(14,134)
Black0.3%(41)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(179)
Asian0.3%(42)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic92%(13,330)
Black0.5%(77)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(461)
Asian0.3%(48)
Other1.9%(268)
7
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(405)
Spaniard0.3%(39)
Guatemalan0.3%(38)
Asian origin
Filipino0.2%(24)
Vietnamese0.1%(15)
Korean0.1%(9)
Thai0%(6)
Chinese0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German33.6%(5,046)
Irish14.2%(2,136)
English13.6%(2,044)
American4.2%(634)
Swedish3.9%(580)
Norwegian3.5%(528)
Danish3.1%(462)
Dutch3%(451)
French2.6%(390)
Scottish2.5%(378)
Italian2.3%(352)
Czech1.9%(282)
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1%(152)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(142)
Welsh0.5%(81)
Russian0.4%(65)
Swiss0.3%(48)
British0.3%(46)
Finnish0.3%(46)
Croatian0.2%(37)
Austrian0.2%(25)
Greek0.1%(19)
Hungarian0.1%(19)
Serbian0.1%(18)
Lithuanian0.1%(13)
Lebanese0.1%(8)
Belgian0.1%(8)
Slovene0.1%(8)
Slovak0%(1)
Section 05

Education

26.0%
+9.7 ptssince 2000
from 16.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.6%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
6.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 4.4% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

23.6 min
+44%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
80.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2009
from 76.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
3.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

4.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 4.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
65.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2011
from 66.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.7%
US average: 73.3%
35.9%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

49.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
50.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
1.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
3.2%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 6.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.8%
US average: 91.9%
86.1%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married31.3%(1,834)
Married54.4%(3,188)
Widowed3.8%(222)
Divorced10.6%(619)
Women 15+
Never married23%(1,381)
Married57.2%(3,425)
Widowed8.3%(496)
Divorced11.5%(690)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

3.2%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 6.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
58.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.6%
US average: 13.7%
21.0%
US average: 17.6%
18.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
75.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
37.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.9%(229)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)27.7%(289)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.7%(363)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.1%(43)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II5.6%(58)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 1,045 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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Frequently asked

How many people live in Mills County, Iowa?

Mills County, Iowa has about 14,484 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mills County, Iowa?

The typical household in Mills County, Iowa earns about $75,137 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mills County, Iowa expensive?

In Mills County, Iowa, the median home is worth about $178,500, and the typical rent is about $837 a month.

How educated are people in Mills County, Iowa?

About 26.0% of adults age 25 and over in Mills County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mills County, Iowa?

About 6.9% of people in Mills County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mills County, Iowa grown since 1990?

Yes, Mills County, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,282 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →