Palo Alto County, Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Palo Alto County, Iowa, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Palo Alto County, Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Palo Alto County, Iowa. The estimated population of Palo Alto County, Iowa is 8,996 people, with a median age of 41.9.

We can look at the total population in Palo Alto County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
8,996
+0.62%
-1.25%
2020
8,941
 -0.69% -
2019
9,003
 -0.57% -
2018
9,055
 -0.6% -
2017
9,110
 - -

Population of Palo Alto County, Iowa by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
91.9%
94.3%
 -2.55%
Black/African American
1.5%
1.9%
 -21.05%
Native
0%
0.2%
 -100.00%
Hispanic
3.2%
2.4%
 +33.33%
Asian
0.5%
0.5%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3%
0.7%
 +328.57%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Palo Alto County, Iowa by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 41.9 -1.41% 40.8 +0.49% 44.3 -2.85%
2020 42.5 +2.66% 40.6 +4.64% 45.6 +2.24%
2019 41.4 -0.96% 38.8 -3.72% 44.6 -0.45%
2018 41.8 -1.18% 40.3 -0.74% 44.8 -0.44%
2017 42.3 - 40.6 - 45 -

The median age of Palo Alto County, Iowa gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 594 +10.95% 568 -10.89% 654 506
10 to 19 607 -1.04% 510 +15.91% 599 594
20 to 29 524 -6.96% 495 -8.4% 488 454
30 to 39 512 +2.14% 498 -3.25% 521 479
40 to 49 524 +10.24% 463 -5.04% 562 438
50 to 59 694 -14.49% 609 -9.9% 594 549
60 to 69 529 +10.39% 544 +12.34% 576 613
70+ 556 +4.23% 883 -10.89% 579 790

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Palo Alto County, Iowa is $59,988.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Palo Alto County.

  • Under 25
    $29,583.00
  • 25 to 44
    $85,859.00
  • 45 to 64
    $71,678.00
  • 65 and over
    $36,964.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Palo Alto County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Palo Alto County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Palo Alto County, Iowa is currently $74,237.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

4.02% of households in Palo Alto County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Palo Alto County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.45%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.92%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    21.30%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.11%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.80%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.39%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.02%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Palo Alto County is $30,699.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Palo Alto County by the total population of Palo Alto County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Palo Alto County, Iowa, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Palo Alto County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    8.46%
  • Bachelor's degree
    29.01%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    16.96%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    43.72%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.85%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Palo Alto County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Palo Alto County over the age of 16 is 7,111.

Of those people, a total of 66.90% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Palo Alto County is 65.00%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 468 62.60% 9.20%
20 to 24 years 478 86.20% 6.80%
25 to 29 years 464 88.40% 3.70%
30 to 34 years 472 90.50% 5.90%
35 to 44 years 1,083 88.80% 1.90%
45 to 54 years 943 86.30% 2.00%
55 to 59 years 645 85.10% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 625 71.50% 0.90%
65 to 74 years 1,026 38.50% 0.00%
75 years and over 907 5.50% 2.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Palo Alto County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 6,811 67.00% 2.70%
Black or African American 118 78.00% 9.80%
American Indian and Alaska Native 4 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 7 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 24 66.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 147 55.80% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 185 90.30% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,668 66.40% 2.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Palo Alto County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Palo Alto County is 4,622, with median earnings of $35,870.00.

Women in Palo Alto County, Iowa earning approximately 71.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,622 $35,870.00
Male 2,532 $43,400.00
Female 2,090 $31,111.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 517 $54,764.00
Business and Financial 110 $51,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 12 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 58 $47,353.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 49 $43,917.00
Community and Social Service 36 $28,571.00
Legal 12 $78,750.00
Educational and Library 253 $50,048.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 62 $9,537.00
Healthcare Practitioners 275 $47,417.00
Healthcare Support 151 $14,292.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 23 $19,432.00
Law Enforcement 18 $48,250.00
Food Preparation and Serving 183 $19,219.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 119 $30,489.00
Personal Care and Service 111 $11,354.00
Sales 369 $26,181.00
Office and Administrative Support 634 $34,918.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 132 $47,024.00
Construction and Extraction 270 $52,500.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 273 $34,761.00
Production 260 $38,167.00
Transportation and Material Moving 329 $38,750.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 343 $54,679.00 174 $55,078.00
Business and Financial 49 $75,625.00 61 $33,828.00
Computer and Mathematical 10 $0.00 2 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 48 $53,611.00 10 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 29 $37,417.00 20 $44,000.00
Community and Social Service 15 $26,607.00 21 $29,464.00
Legal 12 $78,750.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 76 $53,750.00 177 $41,615.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 21 $0.00 41 $8,565.00
Healthcare Practitioners 55 $80,625.00 220 $44,423.00
Healthcare Support 20 $35,227.00 131 $13,625.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 23 $19,432.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 18 $48,250.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 81 $17,969.00 102 $20,500.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 93 $31,902.00 26 $18,846.00
Personal Care and Service 22 $21,500.00 89 $8,125.00
Sales 164 $49,167.00 205 $18,125.00
Office and Administrative Support 105 $29,219.00 529 $36,534.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 97 $61,250.00 35 $46,012.00
Construction and Extraction 259 $55,250.00 11 $23,036.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 272 $34,779.00 1 $0.00
Production 193 $38,625.00 67 $34,427.00
Transportation and Material Moving 310 $44,375.00 19 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,685 households in Palo Alto County, with an average household size of 2.36 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,144 families in Palo Alto County with an average family size of 3.14 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,795 124 225 1,541
Average Household Size 3.11 3.89 3.51 1.19
Total Families 1,795 124 225 0
Average Household Size 3.09 3.77 3.14 0

Poverty

Of the 2,144 families in Palo Alto County, 6.20% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Palo Alto County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 4,512 housing units in Palo Alto County, Iowa.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,685 81.67%
Vacant 827 18.33%

17.46% of the total 4,512 housing units in Palo Alto County are rental units. This is approximately 788 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,798 are occupied by the owner - or 62.01% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Palo Alto County is $547.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Palo Alto County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    99
  • Less than $500
    278
  • $500 to $999
    402
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    72
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    32
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    4

Property Value

The median value of a property in Palo Alto County is $110,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Palo Alto County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    492
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    771
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    499
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    392
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    377
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    184
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    75
  • $1,000,000 or more
    8

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Palo Alto County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Palo Alto County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,413
  • 1940 to 1949
    322
  • 1950 to 1959
    496
  • 1960 to 1969
    548
  • 1970 to 1979
    661
  • 1980 to 1989
    321
  • 1990 to 1999
    370
  • 2000 to 2009
    257
  • 2010 to 2013
    115
  • 2014 or later
    9

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Palo Alto County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    164
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,033
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,481
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,007

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Palo Alto County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Palo Alto County that commute to work in a particular way.

16.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Palo Alto County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    911
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,012
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    445
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    573
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    446
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    159
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    374
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    61
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    59
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    84
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    119
  • 90 or more minutes
    68

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Palo Alto County, Iowa in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Palo Alto County, Iowa

We have data for 23 places in Palo Alto County, Iowa. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.