Pottawattamie County, Iowa Demographics 2026

Name: Pottawattamie County, Iowa Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Pottawattamie County, Iowa has a population of 93,424, the 10th most populous county in Iowa. The median household income is $73,602 and the median home value is $195,700. The poverty rate is 12.1%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Pottawattamie County Quick Facts

Population 93,424

Median Household Income $73,602

Median Home Value $195,700

Poverty Rate 12.1%

Unemployment Rate 3.8%

Median Age 40.1 years

Homeownership Rate 69.9%

Affordability Ratio 2.7x

Bachelor's Degree+ 23.6%

High School Graduation 90.7%

Cities/Places 17

Population 93,424 10th of 99

Median Income $73,602 2% lower than state

Poverty Rate 12.1%

Unemployment 3.8%

How Pottawattamie County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	93,407	93,424	+0.0%
Median household income	$71,446	$73,602	+3.0%
Median home value	$183,600	$195,700	+6.6%

Median Household Income

Pottawattamie

$73,602

$75,059

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Pottawattamie

$195,700

$208,000

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.4%

$25K-$50K 18.1%

$50K-$100K 32.2%

$100K+ 34.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.2%

$10K-$15K

3.4%

$15K-$20K

3.8%

$20K-$25K

4.1%

$25K-$30K

3.1%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

4.5%

$40K-$45K

3.8%

$45K-$50K

3.2%

$50K-$60K

6.9%

$60K-$75K

10.7%

$75K-$100K

14.5%

$100K-$125K

10.6%

$125K-$150K

8.1%

$150K-$200K

8.7%

$200K+

6.9%

Employment

3.8% Unemployment Rate State: 3.6%|National: 5.2%

63.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 69.9%

Renter 30.1%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.7x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,018/mo 16.6% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.9%

18-34

20.6%

35-54

24.1%

55-74

25.0%

75+

7.3%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 31 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Pottawattamie County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Council Bluffs	62,586	$64,578	15.1%	$171,800
Carter Lake	3,767	$85,349	11.5%	$169,400
Avoca	1,444	$73,056	7.0%	$173,800
Oakland	1,408	$81,354	14.2%	$160,200
Walnut	1,342	$62,500	12.4%	$115,900
Treynor	1,126	$121,696	5.1%	$263,500
Neola	1,116	$73,306	6.1%	$205,100
Underwood	898	$105,341	3.3%	$253,500
Carson	834	$73,403	8.3%	$181,400
Minden	630	$109,167	2.4%	$170,500
Crescent	549	$116,042	0.4%	$283,900
Macedonia	249	$71,042	7.2%	$155,500
Hancock	216	$82,083	5.6%	$98,600
Weston	192	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Bentley	189	N/A	6.3%	$188,900
McClelland	140	$108,125	0.0%	$182,800
Loveland	52	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore Iowa Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Pottawattamie County is located in Iowa with a total population of 93,424. It is the 10th most populous county out of 99 in Iowa. The county encompasses 17 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Pottawattamie County is 40.1 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Pottawattamie County is $73,602. This is 2% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 9% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.1%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.8%. This is 6% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $195,700. Housing costs are 6% lower than the state median of $208,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Pottawattamie County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Pottawattamie County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.1%. The Black or African American population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 3.8%. The Asian population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

23.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 25% 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 90.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Pottawattamie 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Pottawattamie County, Iowa?

Pottawattamie County has a population of 93,424, making it the 10th most populous county in Iowa.

What is the median income in Pottawattamie County?

The median household income in Pottawattamie County is $73,602 with a poverty rate of 12.1%.

How many cities are in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?

Pottawattamie County contains 17 Census-designated places.