Mills County vs O'Brien County
A side-by-side comparison of Mills County and O'Brien County: population, income, housing, and more.
Mills County and O'Brien County are counties in Iowa. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Mills County has the higher population (14,563 vs 14,103 in O'Brien County). Mills County has the higher median household income ($87,810 vs $68,216 in O'Brien County). Mills County has the higher median home value ($228,700 vs $158,900 in O'Brien County).
Population, income & housing
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,563 | 14,103 |
| Median age | 42.6 yrs | 39.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $87,810 | $68,216 |
| Median home value | $228,700 | $158,900 |
| Median gross rent | $888 | $770 |
| Housing units | 6,119 | 6,544 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.2% | 77.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 22.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 1.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,034 → 14,563 (-3.1%) | 13,835 → 14,103 (+1.9%) |
| Median household income | $72,079 → $87,810 (+21.8%) | $53,703 → $68,216 (+27.0%) |
| Median home value | $168,900 → $228,700 (+35.4%) | $107,000 → $158,900 (+48.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $826 → $888 (+7.5%) | $585 → $770 (+31.6%) |
Mills County
15,03414,563
$72,079$87,810
$168,900$228,700
$826$888
O'Brien County
13,83514,103
$53,703$68,216
$107,000$158,900
$585$770
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 6.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.3% | 17.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 12.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 10.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 12.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 75 and over | 7.6% | 10.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.3% | 88.5% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.6% | 7.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.4% | 9.7% |
| High school graduate | 27.4% | 35.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.2% | 32.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 22.3% | 17.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 9.8% | 5.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.9% | 82.3% |
| Carpooled | 8.4% | 8.6% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 5.0% | 2.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 9.5% | 6.2% |
| Other means | 0.2% | 0.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 84.3% | 83.6% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.8% | 2.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.2% | 3.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.9% | 4.2% |
| 20 or more units | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 3.4% | 2.3% |
Poverty & households
| Mills County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 13.8% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 2.36 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1973 | 1959 |
Full profiles
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