County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Buena Vista County
- What is the median household income in Buena Vista County?
- The median household income in Buena Vista County is $59,935 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Buena Vista County?
- The poverty rate in Buena Vista County is 13.0% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Buena Vista County?
- $264,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Buena Vista County?
- The median gross rent in Buena Vista County is $1,303 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Buena Vista County residents have a college degree?
- 15.3% of adults in Buena Vista County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
9,713
Median Income
$59,935
Median Home Value
$264,900
Poverty Rate
13.0%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
7.1%
Median Age
42.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$3,235 (+5.7%)
Home Value:
+$68,500 (+34.9%)
Poverty Rate:
+2.2 pp (+20.4%)
Bachelor's+:
-1.2 pp (-7.3%)
Unemployment:
-0.3 pp (-4.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
9,713
Median Age
42.0
Female
51.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
White (non-Hisp.) 78.2%
Black 5.5%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 5.7%
Other 3.7%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Vietnamese
0.9%
Indian
0.4%
Chinese
0.4%
Japanese
0.3%
Filipino
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Puerto Rican
4.5%
Mexican
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$59,935
±$9,403
-$13,212 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$76,550
Median Family Income
$75,245
Poverty Rate
13.0%
+6.1 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
21.5%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
17.1%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
27.4%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.0%
$10–15k
6.2%
$15–25k
7.3%
$25–35k
7.3%
$35–50k
11.7%
$50–75k
22.4%
$75–100k
17.5%
$100–150k
14.7%
$150–200k
6.7%
$200k+
3.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
3,942
Owner-Occupied
67.6%
Renter-Occupied
32.4%
Vacancy Rate
0.8%
Median Home Value
$264,900
+$69,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,303
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
35.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
56.8%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
2.7%
$50–100k
1.0%
$100–200k
2.0%
$200–300k
58.9%
$300–500k
26.1%
$500k–$1M
2.1%
Gross Rent Distribution
$500–1k
4.3%
$1–1.5k
67.8%
$1.5–2k
18.6%
$2–2.5k
9.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.5%
1 vehicle
42.8%
2 vehicles
33.7%
3+
18.9%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
74.0%
Single-fam. att.
0.9%
5–19 units
6.2%
20+ units
15.2%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
13.9%
1940–1969
10.2%
1970–1999
25.0%
2000–2009
2.5%
2010+
2.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
91.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
15.3%
-15.6 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
3.9%
Some College / Associate
20.5%
Less Than High School
1.8%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
59.4%
Unemployment Rate
7.1%
+3.5 pp vs. state
Work from Home
9.5%
Self-Employed
2.7%
Government Workers
4.5%
Private For-Profit
92.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
19.5%
Retail
18.2%
Manufacturing
12.6%
Transportation
9.8%
Prof. Services
8.5%
Construction
8.5%
Arts/Entmt.
6.4%
Finance
4.7%
Wholesale
3.9%
Public Admin
1.8%
Information
1.2%
Agriculture
0.2%
Occupation
Production
28.9%
Management
27.4%
Sales
23.0%
Food Prep
12.7%
Construction
8.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
27.4 min
Drove Alone
78.0%
Carpool
9.3%
Public Transit
1.9%
Work from Home
9.5%
Walked
0.6%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
3,909
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
39.1%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
11.3%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
3.5%
5–9
3.6%
10–14
6.8%
15–19
8.6%
20–24
7.2%
25–34
13.2%
35–44
9.4%
45–54
15.6%
55–64
6.4%
65–74
11.6%
75–84
9.4%
85+
4.1%
Under 18: 20.7%
Working age (18–64): 79.3%
65 and over: 14.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
6.1%
Naturalized Citizen
81.4%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.2%
Foreign-Born Origin
Europe
30.9%
Latin America
30.2%
Asia
25.7%
Africa
12.0%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.2%
With a Disability
22.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
93.7%
Uninsured
6.3%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
91.5%
Has a Computer
96.1%
Same House 1 Year Ago
89.8%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Buena Vista County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Buena Vista County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - Midwest | 92 | 174 |
| Other flows - South | 79 | 150 |
| Other flows - West | 72 | 157 |
| Clay County | 36 | 58 |
| Cherokee County | 31 | 56 |
| Sac County | 29 | 56 |
| Pocahontas County | 27 | 45 |