• county
  • FIPS 19021
  • Largest town: Storm Lake

Buena Vista County, Iowa

Buena Vista County had 20,816 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 574.9 square miles of land. It ranks 30th of 99 in Iowa by population and 39th by land area.

Population
20,816
#30 of 99 in Iowa · #1,778 in US
Area
574.9 sq mi
#39 of 99 in Iowa · #1,731 in US
Density
36 / sq mi
#32 of 99 in Iowa · #1,768 in US
Median household income
$65,671
#64 of 99 in Iowa · #1,328 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Buena Vista County within Iowa. Pin: Des Moines.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Buena Vista County

Buena Vista County population, land area and income

Buena Vista County had 20,816 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 574.9 square miles of land. It ranks 30th of 99 in Iowa by population and 39th by land area. That works out to 36.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Iowa has 15,008 residents; Buena Vista County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $65,671 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

20,816

3144th1st

1778th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

575 sq mi

3144th1st

1731st of 3,144 (US)

Density

36.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

1768th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$65,671

3143rd1st

1328th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Iowa (99)

Population

20,816

99th1st

30th of 99 (IA)

Land area

575 sq mi

99th1st

39th of 99 (IA)

Density

36.2 / sq mi

99th1st

32nd of 99 (IA)

Median household income

$65,671

99th1st

64th of 99 (IA)

How Buena Vista County's population changed since 2020

Buena Vista County gained 8 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.0%. That ranks 41st of 99 in Iowa for growth. The median Iowa county changed by -0.6%, and the state as a whole by +1.6%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Buena Vista County recorded 1,240 births and 768 deaths, a natural change of +472. Net international migration added +799 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -1,302. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 1,302 people.

20.8k202020.8k202120.7k202220.7k202320.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,240
Deaths
768
Net international migration
+799
Net domestic migration
-1,302
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+118

Where Buena Vista County is

The Census internal point of Buena Vista County is at 42.741500, -95.141400. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Iowa's 99 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Buena Vista County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Monroe County: -2.9%Worth County: -1.7%Buena Vista County: +0.0%Jasper County: +0.8%Van Buren County: -0.0%Hardin County: -2.2%Ida County: -3.1%Marshall County: +0.8%Fayette County: -1.5%Ringgold County: -0.8%Wapello County: +1.0%Webster County: -0.2%Adams County: -2.8%Buchanan County: +0.6%Cerro Gordo County: -1.2%Lucas County: +1.6%Emmet County: -1.9%Floyd County: -3.8%Crawford County: -0.7%Linn County: +0.6%Montgomery County: -2.6%Polk County: +4.7%Cherokee County: +0.0%Bremer County: +1.3%Grundy County: +0.5%Adair County: -0.8%Cedar County: -1.4%Story County: +3.9%Mahaska County: -0.6%Davis County: +0.9%Clay County: +0.8%Johnson County: +4.6%Greene County: -1.0%Palo Alto County: -2.0%Benton County: +1.0%Cass County: -0.7%Wright County: -1.5%Audubon County: -2.1%Henry County: -5.3%Boone County: +0.1%Appanoose County: -1.4%Washington County: +0.4%Chickasaw County: -2.2%Poweshiek County: -0.9%Osceola County: -2.6%Wayne County: +1.8%Mitchell County: +0.4%Jefferson County: +0.5%Union County: -1.4%Butler County: -1.2%Hancock County: -1.3%Marion County: +1.9%Delaware County: +0.9%Humboldt County: +0.2%Sioux County: +1.8%Des Moines County: -1.1%O'Brien County: +0.8%Clayton County: -0.6%Black Hawk County: +1.0%Winnebago County: -2.6%Harrison County: +0.4%Decatur County: -1.0%Pocahontas County: -0.9%Lyon County: +3.8%Iowa County: -1.4%Franklin County: +0.3%Dickinson County: +2.2%Madison County: +3.2%Allamakee County: +0.8%Jones County: +2.2%Carroll County: -1.6%Kossuth County: -2.6%Hamilton County: -1.0%Howard County: -1.4%Page County: -1.1%Guthrie County: +1.5%Tama County: -1.8%Monona County: -3.6%Clarke County: -2.1%Lee County: -3.4%Mills County: +2.1%Sac County: -2.7%Scott County: +0.6%Keokuk County: -1.6%Jackson County: -0.3%Warren County: +7.1%Calhoun County: -1.9%Shelby County: +0.8%Fremont County: -1.1%Dubuque County: -0.1%Louisa County: -1.8%Taylor County: -0.6%Woodbury County: +1.2%Clinton County: -0.9%Winneshiek County: -1.6%Pottawattamie County: -0.1%Plymouth County: +0.5%Muscatine County: -2.4%Dallas County: +14.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.9%
  2. < -1.0%
  3. < +0.0%
  4. < +0.9%
  5. ≥ +0.9%
no data

Orange pin: Buena Vista County internal point. Dark pin: Des Moines.

Internal point

Decimal
42.741500, -95.141400
DMS
42°44'29.40"N 95°08'29.04"W
UTM
15N 324724.8E 4734333.0N
Geohash
9zs75hb5k
Plus code
86J6PVR5+JC

Towns in Buena Vista County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Buena Vista County, 13,666 people together, or 66% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Buena Vista County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Storm Lake with 11,627.

  1. 01Storm Lake11,627
  2. 02Alta2,039
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Buena Vista County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Buena Vista County. The most populous is Clay County, IA, with 16,474 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Des Moines and the nearest big city

Des Moines is 111.9 miles SE of Buena Vista County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Sioux Falls, SD (population 209,289), 97.4 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Storm Lake, IA (population 11,627), 7.3 miles away.

Buena Vista County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Buena Vista County is 19021: state code 19 for Iowa plus county code 021. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $65,671.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Buena Vista County, Iowa?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 20,816. That is up 8 people (0.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 20,808.

What is the FIPS code of Buena Vista County?

19021. The first two digits (19) are Iowa; the last three (021) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Buena Vista County?

Storm Lake, with 11,627 residents inside Buena Vista County in 2024.

Which counties border Buena Vista County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Clay County, IA; O'Brien County, IA; Cherokee County, IA; Calhoun County, IA; Sac County, IA; Palo Alto County, IA; Pocahontas County, IA; Ida County, IA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.