Counties in Iowa by foreign-born share of the population, 2024

Buena Vista County had the highest foreign-born share of the population of 99 counties in 2024, at 21.3%. Delaware County had the lowest, at 0.3%. The median was 2.3% and the figure for Iowa was 5.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median2.399 counties
Iowa5.9History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Buena Vista CountyBuena Vista County: 21.3 %21.3Crawford CountyCrawford County: 17.5 %17.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 14.6 %14.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.1 %14.1Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 10.6 %10.6Dallas CountyDallas County: 10.4 %10.4Polk CountyPolk County: 10.1 %10.1Wapello CountyWapello County: 9.9 %9.9Johnson CountyJohnson County: 9.8 %9.8Louisa CountyLouisa County: 9.4 %9.4Story CountyStory County: 8.6 %8.6Sioux CountySioux County: 8.5 %8.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 8.5 %8.5Allamakee CountyAllamakee County: 7.2 %7.2Muscatine CountyMuscatine County: 6.8 %6.8Clarke CountyClarke County: 6.6 %6.6Wright CountyWright County: 6.5 %6.5Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 6.5 %6.5Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 6.4 %6.4Osceola CountyOsceola County: 5.8 %5.8Linn CountyLinn County: 5.6 %5.6Scott CountyScott County: 4.8 %4.8O'Brien CountyO'Brien County: 4.4 %4.4Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 4.4 %4.4Lucas CountyLucas County: 4.1 %4.1Tama CountyTama County: 4.1 %4.1Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 4 %4Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 3.7 %3.7Hardin CountyHardin County: 3.6 %3.6Poweshiek CountyPoweshiek County: 3.6 %3.6Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 3.6 %3.6Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 3.5 %3.5Kossuth CountyKossuth County: 3.4 %3.4Emmet CountyEmmet County: 3.4 %3.4Dubuque CountyDubuque County: 3.3 %3.3Washington CountyWashington County: 3.2 %3.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 3.2 %3.2Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 3.2 %3.2Webster CountyWebster County: 3 %3Chickasaw CountyChickasaw County: 3 %3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Buena Vista County21.3-0.3 pts
2Crawford County17.5+1.6 pts
3Marshall County14.6+0.6 pts
4Jefferson County14.1+2.3 pts
5Woodbury County10.6+0.6 pts
6Dallas County10.4+0.4 pts
7Polk County10.1+0.1 pts
8Wapello County9.9+0.8 pts
9Johnson County9.8-0.4 pts
10Louisa County9.4+1.3 pts
11Story County8.6+0.3 pts
12Sioux County8.5+1 pts
13Franklin County8.5+1.4 pts
14Allamakee County7.2+0.5 pts
15Muscatine County6.8-0.8 pts
16Clarke County6.6+0.5 pts
17Wright County6.5+0.4 pts
18Black Hawk County6.5+0.1 pts
19Hamilton County6.4-0.3 pts
20Osceola County5.8+0.4 pts
21Linn County5.6+0.3 pts
22Scott County4.8+0.4 pts
23O'Brien County4.4+0.3 pts
24Humboldt County4.4+0.4 pts
25Lucas County4.1+1.9 pts
25Tama County4.1-1 pts
27Pottawattamie County4+0.2 pts
28Plymouth County3.7-0.5 pts
29Hardin County3.6+0.6 pts
30Poweshiek County3.6+0.2 pts
31Cherokee County3.6-0 pts
32Winnebago County3.5+0.3 pts
33Kossuth County3.4+0.1 pts
34Emmet County3.4-0.9 pts
35Dubuque County3.30 pts
36Washington County3.2-0.4 pts
37Taylor County3.2-0.3 pts
38Pocahontas County3.2+0.3 pts
39Webster County3-0.3 pts
40Chickasaw County3+0.9 pts
41Jasper County2.8+0.4 pts
42Winneshiek County2.6+0.3 pts
43Cerro Gordo County2.6+0.4 pts
44Ida County2.6+0.6 pts
45Clay County2.5+1.4 pts
46Palo Alto County2.5+0.2 pts
47Floyd County2.4-0.7 pts
48Sac County2.4-0.8 pts
49Des Moines County2.3-0.3 pts
50Howard County2.3+1.1 pts
51Butler County2.3+0.1 pts
51Clayton County2.3+0.2 pts
53Mahaska County2.2+0.1 pts
54Hancock County2.2-0.2 pts
55Fayette County2.1+0.5 pts
56Marion County2.1+0.1 pts
57Henry County2-0.3 pts
58Clinton County2+0.1 pts
59Lyon County2+0.3 pts
60Lee County1.9+0.8 pts
61Decatur County1.9-0 pts
61Guthrie County1.90 pts
63Page County1.9+0.1 pts
64Union County1.8+0.9 pts
65Mitchell County1.8+0.1 pts
66Madison County1.8+0.4 pts
67Grundy County1.7+0.5 pts
68Audubon County1.7+0.8 pts
69Adair County1.60 pts
70Fremont County1.6+0.2 pts
70Shelby County1.6+0.4 pts
72Jones County1.6+0.6 pts
73Bremer County1.60 pts
73Montgomery County1.6+0.2 pts
75Carroll County1.6-0.2 pts
76Warren County1.5-0.1 pts
77Boone County1.5+0.4 pts
78Greene County1.5-0.4 pts
79Davis County1.4+0.1 pts
80Appanoose County1.3+0.1 pts
81Buchanan County1.3-0.4 pts
82Dickinson County1.2-0.5 pts
83Mills County1.2-0.1 pts
84Keokuk County1+0.2 pts
85Iowa County1+0.1 pts
86Calhoun County1+0.3 pts
87Wayne County0.9-0.3 pts
88Cass County0.9+0.6 pts
89Cedar County0.9-0.4 pts
90Worth County0.9+0.2 pts
91Benton County0.80 pts
92Harrison County0.8+0.1 pts
93Jackson County0.80 pts
94Monroe County0.8-0.9 pts
95Ringgold County0.70 pts
96Monona County0.7+0.3 pts
97Van Buren County0.6-0.3 pts
98Adams County0.5+0.3 pts
99Delaware County0.3+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People who were not US citizens at birth, as a percentage of the total population. Includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants and unauthorized immigrants. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Based on place of birth, not nationality: a naturalized citizen counts as foreign born, and people born in Puerto Rico, the US island areas or abroad to American parents count as native. Not comparable with foreign_population_share, which counts foreign nationals in Spain and the EU. Calculated from counts in ACS table B05002, which are stored as inputs.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b05002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest foreign-born share of the population?

Buena Vista County, with 21.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest foreign-born share of the population?

Delaware County, with 0.3% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Foreign-born population share: other rankings

Counties in Iowa: more rankings