Population 22,021 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mahaska County
Household size in Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Mahaska County run small, averaging 2.45 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.38, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated 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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Mahaska County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southwest. Mahaska County is younger than at least four in five Iowa counties.
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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Mahaska County (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. Compared with other Iowa counties, though, Mahaska County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Mahaska County
Renters in Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.0% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.0% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Mahaska County is about as common as it is nationally: 32.0% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). Nearly half of owners (48.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 7.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Mahaska County is close to the national rate: 9.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as 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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Mahaska County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1963, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $506 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $594 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $679 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $821 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$315 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Mahaska County runs $821 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $315 a month since 2006–10, up 62%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 22.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the west; the highest are in the east.
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 Mahaska County
Bachelor's degrees in Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Mahaska County: 24.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Compared with other Iowa counties, though, Mahaska County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.3% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mahaska County is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.2 points, 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 Mahaska County
| Period | Mahaska County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Mahaska County than nationally: unemployment was 3.7%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Mahaska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahaska County | 2.45 | 39.5 | 9.9% | 32.0% | 9.7% | 1963 | $821 | 24.7% | 93.5% | 3.7% |
| Marion County | 2.43 | 40.2 | 7.1% | 22.3% | 8.4% | 1976 | $891 | 33.1% | 94.8% | 2.3% |
| Keokuk County | 2.45 | 42.9 | 9.7% | 18.7% | 11.6% | 1952 | $817 | 16.9% | 94.3% | 4.3% |
| Washington County | 2.52 | 40.9 | 9.0% | 26.0% | 7.7% | 1966 | $877 | 26.4% | 93.4% | 2.2% |
| Warren County | 2.56 | 39.2 | 11.0% | 17.7% | 6.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 33.8% | 96.7% | 3.5% |
| Madison County | 2.57 | 40.8 | 10.3% | 19.9% | 6.4% | 1977 | $1,076 | 27.0% | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| Louisa County | 2.52 | 44.1 | 6.3% | 19.7% | 10.4% | 1963 | $864 | 16.9% | 86.0% | 2.9% |
| Muscatine County | 2.43 | 40.0 | 13.7% | 26.1% | 7.4% | 1968 | $1,008 | 23.5% | 89.7% | 3.0% |
| Adair County | 2.26 | 43.1 | 6.6% | 26.1% | 9.1% | 1957 | $855 | 19.6% | 94.7% | 3.6% |
| Mercer County | 2.35 | 43.6 | 7.6% | 16.2% | 10.5% | 1961 | $775 | 21.1% | 93.9% | 3.0% |
| Rock Island County | 2.29 | 41.1 | 13.3% | 30.3% | 7.8% | 1961 | $971 | 24.8% | 90.7% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Caledonia County, VT · Buchanan County, IA · Buchanan County, VA · Buckingham County, VA · Buena Vista County, IA · Buffalo County, WI · Burke County, GA · Burleson County, TX · Butts County, GA · Caddo County, OK
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 Mahaska 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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