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 — Story County
- What is the median household income in Story County?
- The median household income in Story County is $69,006 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Story County?
- The poverty rate in Story County is 5.1% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Story County?
- $243,600 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Story County?
- The median gross rent in Story County is $1,019 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Story County residents have a college degree?
- 53.3% of adults in Story County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
98,592
Median Income
$69,006
Median Home Value
$243,600
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.0%
Median Age
27.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$12,250 (+21.6%)
Home Value:
+$57,800 (+31.1%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.1 pp (+2%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.7 pp (+3.3%)
Unemployment:
+0.5 pp (+11.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
98,592
Median Age
27.0
Female
47.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
White (non-Hisp.) 81.4%
Black 2.7%
Asian 6.8%
Two or More 5.2%
Other 1.9%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
2.0%
Indian
1.4%
Korean
1.3%
Filipino
0.4%
Vietnamese
0.4%
Japanese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.2%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$69,006
±$2,382
-$4,141 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$87,730
Median Family Income
$116,208
Poverty Rate
5.1%
-1.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
8.1%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
4.8%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
21.1%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.4%
$10–15k
4.2%
$15–25k
7.7%
$25–35k
6.4%
$35–50k
11.7%
$50–75k
17.4%
$75–100k
13.1%
$100–150k
16.0%
$150–200k
8.1%
$200k+
9.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
41,642
Owner-Occupied
56.0%
Renter-Occupied
44.0%
Vacancy Rate
7.0%
Median Home Value
$243,600
+$47,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,019
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
11.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
42.4%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
5.8%
$50–100k
4.5%
$100–200k
8.2%
$200–300k
32.3%
$300–500k
25.7%
$500k–$1M
8.0%
$1M+
0.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
4.8%
$500–1k
43.4%
$1–1.5k
35.0%
$1.5–2k
10.8%
$2–2.5k
3.0%
$2.5–3.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
2.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.0%
1 vehicle
32.7%
2 vehicles
37.6%
3+
23.7%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
52.6%
Single-fam. att.
5.4%
2–4 units
3.3%
5–19 units
5.9%
20+ units
14.6%
Mobile home
3.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
14.6%
1940–1969
2.6%
1970–1999
13.7%
2000–2009
15.2%
2010+
14.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
97.1%
Bachelor's or Higher
53.3%
+22.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
22.8%
Some College / Associate
16.7%
Less Than High School
0.7%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
65.9%
Unemployment Rate
5.0%
+1.4 pp vs. state
Work from Home
10.9%
Self-Employed
3.8%
Government Workers
28.8%
Private For-Profit
67.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
35.3%
Retail
11.2%
Manufacturing
9.6%
Arts/Entmt.
8.9%
Prof. Services
8.7%
Finance
5.1%
Construction
4.8%
Public Admin
4.0%
Transportation
3.7%
Agriculture
2.7%
Wholesale
2.1%
Information
1.2%
Occupation
Management
46.9%
Sales
18.7%
Food Prep
17.7%
Production
10.3%
Construction
6.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
18.2 min
Drove Alone
70.8%
Carpool
7.0%
Public Transit
4.0%
Work from Home
10.9%
Walked
5.7%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
38,708
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
40.6%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
15.7%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.3%
5–9
4.9%
10–14
4.5%
15–19
12.7%
20–24
20.3%
25–34
13.0%
35–44
10.3%
45–54
8.1%
55–64
4.4%
65–74
4.6%
75–84
7.6%
85+
3.5%
Under 18: 16.4%
Working age (18–64): 83.6%
65 and over: 13.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
8.3%
Naturalized Citizen
36.2%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
63.4%
Latin America
14.2%
Africa
10.3%
Europe
9.4%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
4.4%
With a Disability
9.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
95.4%
Uninsured
4.6%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
78.6%
Has a Computer
96.6%
Same House 1 Year Ago
71.3%
Moved from Abroad
1.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Story County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Story County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 607 | 965 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 526 | 736 |
| Other flows - South | 276 | 453 |
| Other flows - West | 228 | 360 |
| Boone County | 194 | 298 |
| Dallas County | 93 | 141 |
| Marshall County | 92 | 133 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 90 | 125 |
| Hamilton County | 88 | 158 |
| Linn County | 72 | 86 |