Population 20,896 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jones County
Household size in Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Jones County run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has climbed from 2.32 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the southeast.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.6 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.9 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Jones County skews older than the country: its median age is 42.9, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 42.3, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Jones County than nationally: 13.3%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 4.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of Iowa's 99 counties, only eight have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Jones County
Renters in Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.9% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.4% of households in Jones County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (44.4%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. The renter share has edged down 1.4 points since 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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Jones County: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.3 points, as it has nationally. Jones County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Iowa counties.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
Jones County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $625 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $603 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $715 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $846 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$221 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Jones County costs $846 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $221 a month since 2006–10, up 35%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.7% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Jones County
Bachelor's degrees in Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Jones County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.5% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.3% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.3% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Jones County: 95.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Jones County has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Iowa counties.
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 Jones County
| Period | Jones County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Jones County than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Still, the rate is higher than in Iowa as a whole (3.7%). Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Jones 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County | 2.43 | 42.9 | 13.3% | 19.4% | 7.8% | 1968 | $846 | 22.0% | 95.3% | 4.4% |
| Linn County | 2.44 | 39.6 | 11.3% | 26.5% | 8.3% | 1980 | $1,057 | 34.2% | 94.8% | 3.4% |
| Jackson County | 2.39 | 45.4 | 6.3% | 19.3% | 11.0% | 1965 | $853 | 19.1% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Benton County | 2.53 | 43.2 | 9.7% | 15.0% | 7.7% | 1967 | $843 | 25.7% | 95.3% | 1.9% |
| Carroll County | 2.18 | 46.7 | 8.1% | 22.8% | 18.7% | 1959 | $836 | 18.3% | 89.0% | 2.8% |
| Tama County | 2.47 | 42.6 | 13.3% | 24.0% | 11.8% | 1959 | $870 | 19.9% | 91.6% | 4.5% |
| Marshall County | 2.58 | 39.8 | 10.7% | 25.0% | 9.5% | 1957 | $1,039 | 22.6% | 86.1% | 4.2% |
| Ogle County | 2.48 | 42.7 | 9.6% | 24.6% | 9.1% | 1973 | $946 | 24.3% | 91.2% | 4.7% |
| Boone County | 2.78 | 41.0 | 12.1% | 18.2% | 5.2% | 1984 | $1,234 | 24.0% | 86.8% | 6.7% |
| Story County | 2.36 | 33.8 | 5.1% | 44.5% | 9.3% | 1983 | $1,026 | 58.0% | 96.8% | 4.3% |
| Boone County | 2.41 | 42.7 | 8.5% | 20.0% | 8.7% | 1961 | $930 | 28.5% | 95.1% | 1.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Charlton County, GA · Carroll County, OH · Carroll County, TN · Carroll County, VA · Carter County, KY · Casey County, KY · Cass County, IA · Cass County, IL · Cass County, MN · Cass County, NE
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 Jones 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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