How many people live in Buena Vista County, IA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 20,800 people living in Buena Vista County, IA. That makes Buena Vista County the 30th-most populous county in Iowa. It is home to 0.64% of people living in the state.
20.8K
population of Buena Vista County, IA (2024)
0.64%
County share of the Iowa population (2024)
About 20,800 people lived in Buena Vista County, IA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Buena Vista County, IA’s age demographics?
About 3,700 Buena Vista County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 17.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of Iowa’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 5,500 Buena Vista County residents, or 26.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22.5% of Iowa’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Buena Vista County, IA's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Buena Vista County, IA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 30.8% of the Buena Vista County, IA population, higher than the national share of 20%. Buena Vista County, IA also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Asian (9.6%) than the US overall (6.5%).
In contrast, Buena Vista County’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounts for 3.4%, below the 12.6% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic white population makes up 50.8% of the county, compared with 57.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Buena Vista County, IA has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Iowa as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Buena Vista County, IA is Storm Lake with about 11,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Buena Vista County, IA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Storm Lake | 11,627 |
| 2. | Alta | 2,039 |
| 3. | Newell | 850 |
| 4. | Sioux Rapids | 722 |
| 5. | Lakeside | 695 |
| 6. | Albert City | 627 |
| 7. | Marathon | 221 |
| 8. | Rembrandt | 199 |
| 9. | Linn Grove | 155 |
| 10. | Truesdale | 64 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
