Official Federal Data
Washington County, Iowa
FIPS 19183 · Iowa City, IA · Population 22,561
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$75,647 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
2.7% ▲
Unemployment
4% national
$1.9B ▲
GDP
26.2% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$75,647 ▲
Per Capita
$39,046 ▲
Mean Household
$95,752 ▲
Poverty Rate
8.2% ▼
Median Income Comparison
Washington County$75,647
Iowa$75,059
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 24.5%
18-34 · 18.6%
35-54 · 23.5%
55-64 · 13.3%
65+ · 20.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
93.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +3.9 pts
26.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 9.5 pts
8.9%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 5.2 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
22,561
Population
12,007
Labor Force
Employed
11,715
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
2.7% ▲ +0.2 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.8%
Key Takeaways
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 9.5 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Accommodation and Food Services employs 1,110 workers (17.1% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $36,250.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $1.9B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $91,861 while Retail Trade averages $32,200, a 2.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
2,309
Cluster Employment
1.81x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
18.47x 281
Wood Product Manufacturing
4.90x 111
Machinery Manufacturing
3.28x 201
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
3.13x 604
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
3.10x 183
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.52x 168
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2.52x 312
Furniture, Home Furnishings, and Other Retailers
2.01x 87
Construction of Buildings
1.91x 200
1.81x 2,309
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.14x
Administrative and Support Services
66 employed
0.30x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
183 employed
0.35x
Educational Services
64 employed
0.46x
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
68 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 18.47x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$203,900 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$879 ▲
Rent/Mo
74% ▲
Owner-Occ
7.1% ▼
Vacancy
2.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$728/mo
1 Bedroom
$733/mo
2 Bedroom
$962/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,191/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,274/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,891/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.7x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
- High home ownership: 74% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,891/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
12,490 ▼
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.8%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
86%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
26.2% ▲
HS Diploma+
93.5% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
28,295/yr
9,271/yr
8,469/yr
4,028/yr
2,755/yr
2,365/yr
1,407/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
24%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
38%
Service
16.4%
Sales & Office
18.2%
Construction / Maint.
11.6%
Production / Transport
15.7%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 11,715 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 24% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 21,768 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Washington County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 18.47x concentration and 281 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 24% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
The interconnected base across animal production and aquaculture, wood product manufacturing, and machinery manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Washington County, Iowa, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Washington County, Iowa?
22,561 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Washington County, Iowa?
$75,647 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Washington County, Iowa?
2.7% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Washington County, Iowa?
$1.9B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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