How many people live in Wapello County, IA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 35,700 people living in Wapello County, IA. That makes Wapello County the 20th-most populous county in Iowa. It is home to 1.1% of people living in the state.
35.7K
population of Wapello County, IA (2024)
1.1%
County share of the Iowa population (2024)
About 35,700 people lived in Wapello County, IA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Wapello County, IA’s age demographics?
About 6,700 Wapello County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 18.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.9% of Iowa’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 8,400 Wapello County residents, or 23.6% 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 Wapello County, IA's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Wapello County, IA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 73.3% of the Wapello County, IA population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Wapello County, IA also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (3.3%) than the US overall (0.2%).
In contrast, Wapello County’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounts for 4.2%, below the 12.6% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 15.1% of the county, compared with 20% 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.
Wapello 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 Wapello County, IA is Ottumwa with about 25,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Wapello County, IA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ottumwa | 25,648 |
| 2. | Eldon | 788 |
| 3. | Eddyville (pt.) | 731 |
| 4. | Agency | 623 |
| 5. | Blakesburg | 273 |
| 6. | Kirkville | 159 |
| 7. | Chillicothe | 79 |
| 8. | Balance of Wapello County | 7,380 |
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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.
