Palo Alto County, Iowa

9 cities & places have their primary county here.

Population: 8,902
Median household income: $68,963
Median home value: $119,300

Palo Alto County, Iowa counts 8,902 residents. 9 cities and places have their primary county here. At $68,963, its median household income sits below Iowa's $73,147.

Between 2019 and 2023, Palo Alto County's population declined 1.1% from 9,003 to 8,902, while its median household income rose 30.3% from $52,932 to $68,963.

Owners occupy 75.7% of the area's occupied homes. The median resident is 41.5 years old.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 8,902
Median age: 41.5 yrs
Median household income: $68,963
Median home value: $119,300
Median gross rent: $599
Housing units: 4,517
Homeownership rate: 75.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 20.5%
Unemployment rate: 2.7%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

9,0038,902

Median household income

$52,932$68,963

Median home value

$102,200$119,300

Median gross rent

$580$599

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	9,003	$52,932	$102,200	$580
2020	8,941	$56,437	$107,300	$545
2021	8,996	$59,988	$110,800	$547
2022	8,938	$67,306	$117,000	$631
2023	8,902	$68,963	$119,300	$599

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 56.1%

5 to 1717.3%

18 to 248.3%

25 to 3410.7%

35 to 4411.7%

45 to 5410.1%

55 to 6413.8%

65 to 7412.0%

75 and over9.9%

	Count	Share
Under 5	547	6.1%
5 to 17	1,540	17.3%
18 to 24	736	8.3%
25 to 34	954	10.7%
35 to 44	1,041	11.7%
45 to 54	903	10.1%
55 to 64	1,232	13.8%
65 to 74	1,072	12.0%
75 and over	877	9.9%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	8,153	91.6%
Black or African American	155	1.7%
American Indian & Alaska Native	8	0.1%
Asian	56	0.6%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Some other race	0	0.0%
Two or more races	237	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	293	3.3%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma6.1%

High school graduate32.3%

Some college or associate's41.1%

Bachelor's degree15.5%

Graduate or professional degree5.0%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	370	6.1%
High school graduate	1,961	32.3%
Some college or associate's	2,500	41.1%
Bachelor's degree	942	15.5%
Graduate or professional degree	306	5.0%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 18 min

Drove alone77.1%

Carpooled10.0%

Public transit0.6%

Walked4.3%

Bicycle0.7%

Worked from home6.2%

Other means1.1%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	3,517	77.1%
Carpooled	456	10.0%
Public transit	28	0.6%
Walked	197	4.3%
Bicycle	32	0.7%
Worked from home	282	6.2%
Other means	49	1.1%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	2,302	53.8%
15 to 29 min	1,088	25.4%
30 to 44 min	501	11.7%
45 to 59 min	170	4.0%
60+ min	218	5.1%

Households

Average household size: 2.29
Poverty rate: 11.7% (1,002 of 8,551)

	Count	Share
Family households	2,178	58.3%
Nonfamily households	1,561	41.7%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1957

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	3,739	82.8%
Vacant	778	17.2%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	2,831	75.7%
Renter-occupied	908	24.3%

1-unit, detached84.1%

1-unit, attached0.9%

2 to 4 units5.5%

5 to 19 units5.4%

20 or more units2.1%

Mobile home & other2.1%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	3,800	84.1%
1-unit, attached	39	0.9%
2 to 4 units	248	5.5%
5 to 19 units	243	5.4%
20 or more units	93	2.1%
Mobile home & other	94	2.1%

Geography

County GEOID: 19147
State: Iowa
Land area: 564 sq mi
Water area: 5.57 sq mi
Center point: 43.0753, -94.6691