COUNTY
Story County
Iowa · 101,291 residents (2025 est.) · 573 sq mi
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The short version
With 100,466 people, Story County is a county in Iowa. The median age is 26.9, younger than the US median of 38.9. 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. People stay put here: 71% were in the same home a year ago. Growth has run 26% since 2000, or 20,485 more people. Owners hold 56% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $69,685, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Story County
What changed most since 1990
- White share92.8% → 81.0% (−11.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share1.0% → 5.2% (+4.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 99 counties in Iowa
- 56th in household income$69,685
- 2nd in share with a bachelor's degree54.8%
- 7th in home value$258,700
- 16th in diversity score41.8
Section 01
Population & growth
100,466
+26%since 2000
from 79,981 in 2000
101,291 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
573 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024100K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.2%(4,204)
5 to 94.7%(4,691)
10 to 144.5%(4,491)
15 to 1913.5%(13,577)
20 to 2420.3%(20,351)
25 to 3412.8%(12,810)
35 to 4410.1%(10,168)
45 to 548.1%(8,153)
55 to 648.7%(8,746)
65 to 747.8%(7,883)
75 to 843.7%(3,716)
85 and over1.7%(1,676)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$69,685
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,442 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
46.9%
+17.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.5%
Retail trade9.2%
Other services5.1%
Wholesale trade4.9%
Public administration3.6%
Finance & insurance3.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
Construction2.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$258,700
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.7
+11%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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)
42
+62%since 2009
from 26 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
Central American0.5%(533)
South American0.4%(399)
Puerto Rican0.4%(396)
Guatemalan0.3%(330)
Venezuelan0.2%(174)
Cuban0.2%(168)
Spaniard0.1%(122)
Salvadoran0.1%(98)
Argentine0.1%(80)
Colombian0%(46)
Panamanian0%(43)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(43)
Uruguayan0%(35)
Honduran0%(32)
Dominican0%(29)
Costa Rican0%(25)
Chilean0%(16)
Nicaraguan0%(5)
Ecuadorian0%(5)
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)
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)
Subsaharan African1.1%(1,135)
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)
French Canadian0.1%(96)
Ghanaian0.1%(85)
Croatian0.1%(81)
Turkish0.1%(81)
Lithuanian0.1%(72)
Ukrainian0.1%(71)
Jordanian0.1%(64)
Armenian0%(44)
Latvian0%(44)
Portuguese0%(43)
Ethiopian0%(39)
Slovene0%(38)
Bulgarian0%(32)
West Indian0%(32)
Guyanese0%(31)
Slovak0%(26)
Palestinian0%(19)
Serbian0%(19)
Jamaican0%(19)
Barbadian0%(13)
Egyptian0%(10)
Australian0%(9)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
97.4%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 93.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 79.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 95.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
17.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
84.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 84.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
23.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 21.0% 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)27.5%(919)
Gulf War (1990s)15.5%(516)
Vietnam era34.2%(1,140)
Korean War4.8%(159)
World War II2.1%(71)
Share of the 3,337 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Story County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 74,252 | $64,005 | $152,884 | 38.4% | 17.2 |
| 2000 | 79,981 | $73,671 | $201,475 | 44.5% | 22.7 |
| 2010 | 89,542 | $69,408 | $224,417 | 47.2% | 29.9 |
| 2020 | 98,537 | $70,664 | $236,590 | 51.9% | 41.8 |
| 2024 | 100,466 | $69,685 | $258,700 | 54.8% | 41.8 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Story County
DeKalb County
Pop 101,835
Kankakee County
Pop 105,525
Twin Falls County
Pop 97,539
Floyd County
Pop 101,378
Places similar to Story CountyHead 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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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 1.0515 ZIP codes
ZIP 50010ZIP 50014ZIP 50201ZIP 50124ZIP 50248ZIP 50013ZIP 50012ZIP 50236ZIP 50046ZIP 50105ZIP 50055ZIP 50056ZIP 50278ZIP 50134ZIP 50154Up the hierarchy
All counties in IowaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024