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COUNTY

Story County

Iowa · 101,291 residents (2025 est.) · 572.544 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#18Youngest by median ageof 3,14426.9#56Most educatedof 3,14454.8%
The short version

Story County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $69,685. Population has grown 26% since 2000. 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $258,700. At a median age of 26.9, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, well above the US average, yet household income trails the national figure — a profile common to graduate-student tracts and academic hubs.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 26.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
55% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
100,466
+26%since 2000
from 79,981 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
175 / sq mi
+19%since 2009
from 148 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
26.9
+2%since 2000
from 26.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:101,291 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
72K79K87K95K103K1990201020202024Story County
2024100K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.2%(4,204)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.7%(4,691)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(4,491)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1913.5%(13,577)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2420.3%(20,351)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.8%(12,810)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.1%(10,168)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.1%(8,153)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 648.7%(8,746)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.8%(7,883)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.7%(3,716)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(1,676)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$69,685
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,442 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,610
+94%since 2000
from $19,949 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
46.9%
+17.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
18.2%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.469
+4%since 2010
from 0.453 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$258,700
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,018
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $575 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
55.5%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 58.3% in 2000
44.5% rent
Vacancy rate
7.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
16.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.7%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 53.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+11%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Story County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.3%(72,221)
Black1.8%(1,441)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,238)
Asian5.1%(4,076)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic81%(81,361)
Black2.7%(2,711)
Hispanic / Latino5.2%(5,184)
Asian6.6%(6,641)
Other4.5%(4,569)
Diversity Score
42
+62%since 2009
from 26 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
25
−26%since 2020
from 34 in 2020
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
Mexican2.8%(2,855)
Puerto Rican0.4%(396)
Guatemalan0.3%(330)
Venezuelan0.2%(174)
Cuban0.2%(168)
Spaniard0.1%(122)
Salvadoran0.1%(98)
Argentine0.1%(80)
Colombian0%(46)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese1.9%(1,863)
Asian Indian1.4%(1,358)
Korean1.1%(1,059)
Filipino0.3%(349)
Vietnamese0.3%(345)
Bangladeshi0.3%(314)
Indonesian0.1%(102)
Nepalese0.1%(96)
Pakistani0.1%(92)
Sri Lankan0.1%(84)
Japanese0.1%(77)
Mongolian0.1%(60)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0.1%(55)
Thai0%(48)
Taiwanese0%(24)
Cambodian0%(22)
Hmong0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(27)
Samoan0%(22)
Tongan0%(9)
Ancestry
German28.6%(28,749)
Irish10.7%(10,771)
English10.3%(10,350)
Norwegian7.7%(7,703)
American2.9%(2,888)
Swedish2.5%(2,541)
Italian2.3%(2,360)
Dutch2.3%(2,275)
Polish1.7%(1,698)
Danish1.6%(1,625)
Scottish1.6%(1,595)
French1.3%(1,327)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Czech1.2%(1,207)
British0.7%(711)
Welsh0.7%(659)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(622)
Swiss0.5%(482)
Arab0.4%(435)
Russian0.3%(324)
Belgian0.3%(323)
Iranian0.3%(318)
Brazilian0.3%(317)
Canadian0.2%(238)
Greek0.2%(199)
Austrian0.2%(156)
Lebanese0.2%(155)
Nigerian0.1%(133)
Romanian0.1%(125)
Hungarian0.1%(117)
Somali0.1%(98)
Finnish0.1%(96)
Ghanaian0.1%(85)
Croatian0.1%(81)
Turkish0.1%(81)
Lithuanian0.1%(72)
Ukrainian0.1%(71)
Jordanian0.1%(64)
Armenian0%(44)
Latvian0%(44)
Ethiopian0%(39)
Slovene0%(38)
Bulgarian0%(32)
Guyanese0%(31)
Slovak0%(26)
Serbian0%(19)
Jamaican0%(19)
Barbadian0%(13)
Egyptian0%(10)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
54.8%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 44.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
97.4%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 93.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.5%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.8 min
+55%since 2000
from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
68.3%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 72.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.9%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
3.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.8%
+9.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
7.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 5.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 69.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
17.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.8%
−22.3 ptssince 2009
from 69.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Female
47.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Foreign born
8.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.0%
−47.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2012
from 6.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.2%
−90.2 ptssince 2013
from 94.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
80.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2017
from 81.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
88.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2016
from 89.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 2.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married56.6%(25,901)
Married36.3%(16,605)
Widowed2.3%(1,059)
Divorced4.8%(2,178)
Women 15+
Never married46.6%(19,247)
Married39.8%(16,463)
Widowed5%(2,059)
Divorced8.6%(3,568)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Story County

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Pop 101,835
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Pop 105,525
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Places similar to Story County
Head to head

Compare Story County to nearby counties

STORY COUNTY VS
Boone County
Income$83,531+20%
Home value$212,400−18%
Population26,799−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Marshall County
Income$73,315+5%
Home value$145,500−44%
Population39,890−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Polk County
Income$83,576+20%
Home value$262,100+1%
Population516,546+410%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Hardin County
Income$65,069−7%
Home value$122,500−53%
Population16,455−84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Story County, Iowa?

Story County, Iowa has about 100,466 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Story County, Iowa earns about $69,685 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Story County, Iowa expensive?

In Story County, Iowa, the median home is worth about $258,700, and the typical rent is about $1,018 a month.

How educated are people in Story County, Iowa?

About 54.8% of adults age 25 and over in Story County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Story County, Iowa?

About 18.2% of people in Story County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.

Has Story County, Iowa grown since 1990?

Yes, Story County, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 26,214 residents, a change of about 35 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

27 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 13.02Census Tract 13.04Census Tract 5Census Tract 106Census Tract 10Census Tract 6Census Tract 8Census Tract 13.03Census Tract 101.02Census Tract 11.02Census Tract 103Census Tract 102Census Tract 1.02Census Tract 101.01Census Tract 9Census Tract 2Census Tract 7Census Tract 11.01Census Tract 104Census Tract 1.05
15 ZIP codes
ZIP 50010ZIP 50014ZIP 50201ZIP 50124ZIP 50248ZIP 50013ZIP 50012ZIP 50236ZIP 50046ZIP 50105ZIP 50055ZIP 50056ZIP 50278ZIP 50134ZIP 50154
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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