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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Story County

Iowa · 89,542 residents · 573 sq mi
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The short version

Story County is home to 89,542 people in Iowa. The median age is 26.7, younger than the US median of 37.2. 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 28% nationally. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 18 minutes. Median home value sits at $156,000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 26.7
US median: 37.2
More educated
47% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

89,542
+12%since 2000
from 79,981 in 2000
1990 – 2025
26.7
+1%since 2000
from 26.5 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
573 sq mi
Population, 19902024
72K79K87K95K103K19902000201020202024Story County
2024100K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.4%(4,803)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95%(4,462)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 144.7%(4,197)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 1910.7%(9,609)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2421%(18,846)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3414.3%(12,769)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 449.3%(8,337)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5410.4%(9,335)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 649.2%(8,239)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 745%(4,510)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.3%(2,942)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(1,493)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$48,248
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,442 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$25,450
+28%since 2000
from $19,949 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
30.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 29.4% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
18.6%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.453
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information9.9%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade9.3%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 7%
Wholesale trade5.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Public administration4%
US avg: 4.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction2.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical2.2%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$156,000
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$703
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $575 in 2000
US average: $853
55.0%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 58.3% in 2000
45.0% rent
5.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.34 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
17.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
51.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 53.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
3.2
−3%since 2009
from 3.3 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-Hispanic90.3%(72,221)
Black1.8%(1,441)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,238)
Asian5.1%(4,076)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic86.9%(77,812)
Black2.4%(2,125)
Hispanic / Latino3%(2,695)
Asian6%(5,369)
Other1.3%(1,195)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.6%(1,438)
Puerto Rican0.3%(268)
Guatemalan0.2%(133)
Spaniard0.1%(82)
Colombian0.1%(68)
Cuban0.1%(57)
Salvadoran0.1%(54)
Uruguayan0%(30)
Dominican0%(28)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(26)
Chilean0%(25)
Peruvian0%(24)
Honduran0%(22)
Ancestry
German36.6%(32,079)
Irish12.7%(11,105)
English11%(9,598)
Norwegian10.5%(9,231)
Swedish4.4%(3,871)
Dutch3.3%(2,924)
American3.1%(2,689)
French3%(2,617)
Danish2.9%(2,582)
Scottish2.8%(2,416)
Italian2.3%(1,993)
Polish1.9%(1,659)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Czech1.8%(1,566)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(1,269)
Welsh0.9%(786)
Swiss0.7%(619)
Russian0.6%(536)
British0.5%(425)
Arab0.4%(369)
Hungarian0.3%(271)
Ukrainian0.3%(219)
Belgian0.2%(206)
Austrian0.2%(180)
Canadian0.2%(178)
Greek0.2%(170)
Portuguese0.2%(163)
Egyptian0.2%(148)
Nigerian0.2%(139)
Turkish0.1%(129)
West Indian0.1%(127)
Finnish0.1%(79)
Lebanese0.1%(77)
Croatian0.1%(65)
Jordanian0.1%(62)
Slovene0.1%(61)
Lithuanian0.1%(59)
Kenyan0.1%(45)
Iranian0%(39)
Romanian0%(39)
Guyanese0%(38)
Slovak0%(27)
Serbian0%(25)
Ethiopian0%(20)
Syrian0%(18)
Brazilian0%(16)
Latvian0%(14)
Ghanaian0%(13)
Iraqi0%(12)
Section 05

Education

47.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 44.5% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
95.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 93.5% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
19.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.7 min
+53%since 2000
from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
71.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 72.6% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
9.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
5.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
2.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
7.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
1.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
5.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

20.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
43.9%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 41.8% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

51.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
48.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
8.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
6.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

4.2%
−1.4 ptssince 2013
from 5.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
70.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 71.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
13.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
10.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 9.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.5%(516)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.2%(1,140)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.8%(159)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.1%(71)
US avg: 1%

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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Story County, Iowa?

Story County, Iowa has about 89,542 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Story County, Iowa earns about $48,248 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 $156,000, and the typical rent is about $703 a month.

How educated are people in Story County, Iowa?

About 47.2% 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 18.6% 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 15,290 residents, a change of about 21 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 →