O'Brien County, Iowa Demographics 2026

Population Overview

O'Brien County is located in Iowa with a total population of 14,126. It is the 56th most populous county out of 99 in Iowa. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in O'Brien County is 39.5 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in O'Brien County is $68,356. This is 9% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.3%. This is 20% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 1.0%. This is 72% lower than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $173,100. Housing costs are 17% lower than the state median of $208,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, O'Brien County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

O'Brien County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 87.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.6%. The Black or African American population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 3.8%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

22.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 30% lower than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for O'Brien County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Iowa and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.