How many people live in Story County, IA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 102,500 people living in Story County, IA. That makes Story County the eighth-most populous county in Iowa. It is home to 3.2% of people living in the state.
102K
population of Story County, IA (2024)
3.2%
County share of the Iowa population (2024)
About 102,500 people lived in Story County, IA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Story County, IA’s age demographics?
About 14,200 Story County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 13.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of Iowa’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 16,400 Story County residents, or 16% 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 Story County, IA's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Story County, IA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 81.6% of the Story County, IA population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Story County, IA also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Asian (8.1%) than the US overall (6.5%).
In contrast, Story County’s Hispanic population accounts for 5.4%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 3% of the county, compared with 12.6% 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.
Story County, IA has a higher share of a non-Hispanic Asian population than Iowa as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Story County, IA is Ames with about 69,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Story County, IA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ames | 69,026 |
| 2. | Nevada | 7,082 |
| 3. | Huxley | 4,737 |
| 4. | Story City | 3,439 |
| 5. | Slater (pt.) | 1,626 |
| 6. | Gilbert | 1,397 |
| 7. | Roland | 1,376 |
| 8. | Maxwell | 862 |
| 9. | Colo | 856 |
| 10. | Cambridge | 844 |
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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.
