What is the poverty rate in Iowa?
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The poverty rate was about 11% of Iowa’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 346,500 people in Iowa were considered in poverty.
11%
of the population (2025)
346K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Iowa's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 12.8%. Its lowest point was in 2017 at 10.7%. The state's poverty rate was 11% in 2025, 0.3 percentage points lower than the previous year.
In 2025, 11% of Iowa's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 346,500 people living in Iowa were in poverty — down 8.6% from the 2013 peak of 379,100.
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In 2025, 346,500 people in Iowa were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Iowa?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Iowa decreased from 14.8% to 11.9%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 12.5% to 11%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7% to 10.1%.
In 2025, 11.9% of children in Iowa were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Iowa?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Iowa during 2025, seven had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race; and two or more races
One had a lower than average poverty rate: White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 36.1% in 2015 to 26.8% in 2025.
In Iowa, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 36.1% in 2015 to 26.8% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Iowa have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Iowa counties ranged from 5.1% in Warren County to 18.2% in Story County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Polk County — was 10.3%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Iowa counties ranged from 5.1% to 18.2%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Story County | 18.2% |
| 2. | Appanoose County | 17.5% |
| 3. | Johnson County | 17.1% |
| 4. | Wright County | 16.8% |
| 5. | Osceola County | 16.0% |
| 6. | Wapello County | 15.8% |
| 7. | Montgomery County | 15.3% |
| 8. | Jefferson County | 15.2% |
| 9. | Van Buren County | 15.1% |
| 10. | Lucas County | 14.9% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
