Population 13,096 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cass County
Household size in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Cass County is a place of small households, averaging 2.23 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.27 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.0 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Cass County skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Cass County (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Cass County
Renters in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.8% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Cass County rent their homes (28.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 47.9% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Cass County is close to the national rate: 9.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Cass County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1950, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the northeast. Of Iowa's 99 counties, only three have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $538 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $569 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $686 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $797 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$259 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Cass County runs $797 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $259 a month from 2006–10, a 48% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Cass County
Bachelor's degrees in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Cass County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 7.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.0% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Cass County: 94.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. The share with a diploma has risen 3.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Cass County
| Period | Cass County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cass County has been low: just 1.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only four of Iowa's 99 counties have lower unemployment. Unemployment is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Cass County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 2.23 | 45.1 | 9.9% | 28.4% | 9.5% | 1950 | $797 | 21.7% | 94.4% | 1.5% |
| Adair County | 2.26 | 43.1 | 6.6% | 26.1% | 9.1% | 1957 | $855 | 19.6% | 94.7% | 3.6% |
| Pottawattamie County | 2.45 | 41.1 | 11.3% | 30.1% | 7.3% | 1967 | $1,056 | 23.9% | 90.6% | 3.7% |
| Madison County | 2.57 | 40.8 | 10.3% | 19.9% | 6.4% | 1977 | $1,076 | 27.0% | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| Douglas County | 2.55 | 36.7 | 11.6% | 38.5% | 6.3% | 1977 | $1,396 | 42.3% | 91.2% | 4.1% |
| Warren County | 2.56 | 39.2 | 11.0% | 17.7% | 6.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 33.8% | 96.7% | 3.5% |
| Dodge County | 2.43 | 38.9 | 11.1% | 33.1% | 9.6% | 1964 | $1,066 | 22.0% | 88.1% | 3.5% |
| Marion County | 2.43 | 40.2 | 7.1% | 22.3% | 8.4% | 1976 | $891 | 33.1% | 94.8% | 2.3% |
| Butler County | 2.37 | 41.8 | 4.9% | 20.1% | 12.5% | 1964 | $901 | 23.8% | 91.0% | 1.2% |
| Mahaska County | 2.45 | 39.5 | 9.9% | 32.0% | 9.7% | 1963 | $821 | 24.7% | 93.5% | 3.7% |
| Platte County | 2.58 | 37.7 | 12.1% | 28.4% | 5.4% | 1971 | $1,017 | 23.7% | 90.6% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Nevada County, AR · Mora County, NM · Morgan County, UT · Morrill County, NE · Morris County, KS · Moultrie County, IL · Mountrail County, ND · Nantucket County, MA · Nemaha County, NE · Montgomery County, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Cass County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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