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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Story County

Iowa · 79,981 residents · 572.544 sq mi
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The short version

Story County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $40,442. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 24%. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $110,600. At a median age of 26.5, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 26.5
US median: 35.2
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
79,981
+8%since 1990
from 74,252 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
26.5
+2%since 1990
from 25.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
72K79K87K95K103K1990201020202024Story County
2024100K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.2%(4,136)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95.1%(4,089)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.4%(4,302)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 1911.4%(9,090)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2420.4%(16,288)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.4%(10,739)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4412%(9,623)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.9%(8,743)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.4%(5,101)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.7%(3,766)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.6%(2,845)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.6%(1,259)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$40,442
+15%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,668 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,949
+67%since 1990
from $11,958 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.1%
−2.5 ptssince 1990
from 16.5% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$110,600
+32%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $63,700 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$575
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $392 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
58.3%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 56.0% in 1990
41.7% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Story County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic93.2%(69,223)
Black1.7%(1,241)
Hispanic / Latino1%(720)
Asian4.5%(3,367)
2000
White, non-Hispanic90.3%(72,221)
Black1.8%(1,441)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,238)
Asian5.1%(4,076)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

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
44.5%
+6.1 ptssince 1990
from 38.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
93.5%
+2.5 ptssince 1990
from 91.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
19.6%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 17.3% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
11.5 min
−32%since 1990
from 17.0 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married47.9%(16,538)
Married45.6%(15,743)
Widowed1.2%(413)
Divorced5.2%(1,804)
Women 15+
Never married37.6%(12,406)
Married48.2%(15,890)
Widowed7.3%(2,414)
Divorced6.9%(2,262)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Story County to nearby counties

STORY COUNTY VS
Boone County
Income$83,531+107%
Home value$212,400+92%
Population26,799−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Marshall County
Income$73,315+81%
Home value$145,500+32%
Population39,890−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Polk County
Income$83,576+107%
Home value$262,100+137%
Population516,546+410%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STORY COUNTY VS
Hardin County
Income$65,069+61%
Home value$122,500+11%
Population16,455−84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Story County, Iowa?

Story County, Iowa has about 79,981 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Story County, Iowa earns about $40,442 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 $110,600, and the typical rent is about $575 a month.

How educated are people in Story County, Iowa?

About 44.5% 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 14.1% 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 5,729 residents, a change of about 8 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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