Story County, Iowa Demographics 2026
Story County, Iowa has a population of 100,466, the 8th most populous county in Iowa. The median household income is $69,685 and the median home value is $258,700. The poverty rate is 18.2%.
Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes
Story County Quick Facts
How Story 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 | 98,592 | 100,466 | +1.9% |
| Median household income | $69,006 | $69,685 | +1.0% |
| Median home value | $243,600 | $258,700 | +6.2% |
Median Household Income
Median Home Value
Economy & Housing
Household Income Distribution
Detailed income brackets
Employment
Housing Overview
People & Demographics
Age Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Diversity Index
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 Story County
| City | Population | Median Income | Poverty | Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 67,669 | $60,991 | 25.4% | $277,400 |
| Nevada | 6,983 | $75,094 | 9.9% | $182,400 |
| Huxley | 4,544 | $112,094 | 4.5% | $297,100 |
| Story City | 3,398 | $96,605 | 12.6% | $215,600 |
| Roland | 1,559 | $79,028 | 1.1% | $185,900 |
| Slater | 1,401 | $97,500 | 3.8% | $232,800 |
| Gilbert | 1,381 | $122,656 | 3.4% | $274,600 |
| Maxwell | 905 | $97,639 | 4.1% | $184,600 |
| Cambridge | 803 | $57,333 | 11.2% | $178,100 |
| Colo | 686 | $64,000 | 6.4% | $152,000 |
| Zearing | 566 | $74,167 | 15.4% | $158,800 |
| Collins | 533 | $67,500 | 10.3% | $159,200 |
| Kelley | 382 | $111,250 | 7.8% | $220,800 |
| McCallsburg | 326 | $65,000 | 8.6% | $168,600 |
Explore Iowa Rankings
Population Overview
Story County is located in Iowa with a total population of 100,466. It is the 8th most populous county out of 99 in Iowa. The county encompasses 14 Census-designated places.
Age Demographics
The median age in Story County is 26.9 years. This is 30% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.
Economy, Income & Housing
The median household income in Story County is $69,685. This is 7% lower than the state median of $75,059. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.2%. This is 65% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.8%. This is 33% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $258,700. Housing costs are 24% higher than the state median of $208,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 55.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 23% lower than the state average of 71.7%.
Race & Ethnicity
The largest racial or ethnic group in Story County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.0% of the population. Asian residents account for 6.6%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (6.6% vs 2.5%).
Education
54.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Story County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 75% higher 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 97.4%. Notably, 23.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.
Data Sources & Methodology
All figures for Story 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 Story County, Iowa?
Story County has a population of 100,466, making it the 8th most populous county in Iowa.
What is the median income in Story County?
The median household income in Story County is $69,685 with a poverty rate of 18.2%.
How many cities are in Story County, Iowa?
Story County contains 14 Census-designated places.