Data / Rankings / Housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US) / Counties in Iowa

Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)

Dickinson County had the highest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US) of 99 counties in 2021, at 40.7%. Sioux County had the lowest, at 5.2%. The median was 11.4% and the figure for Iowa was 9.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest40.7Dickinson County
Lowest5.2Sioux County
Median11.499 counties
Iowa9.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 11.5 %Adams County: 19.3 %Allamakee County: 24.1 %Appanoose County: 22.4 %Audubon County: 11.4 %Benton County: 9 %Black Hawk County: 8.4 %Boone County: 10 %Bremer County: 7.6 %Buchanan County: 12.4 %Buena Vista County: 8.2 %Butler County: 10.5 %Calhoun County: 18.4 %Carroll County: 7.7 %Cass County: 9.9 %Cedar County: 9.7 %Cerro Gordo County: 13.4 %Cherokee County: 8.2 %Chickasaw County: 10.1 %Clarke County: 11.7 %Clay County: 11.9 %Clayton County: 16.8 %Clinton County: 11.2 %Crawford County: 10.5 %Dallas County: 5.8 %Davis County: 12.1 %Decatur County: 17.3 %Delaware County: 14.1 %Des Moines County: 9.2 %Dickinson County: 40.7 %Dubuque County: 6.8 %Emmet County: 14.7 %Fayette County: 13.3 %Floyd County: 8.6 %Franklin County: 12.2 %Fremont County: 13.2 %Greene County: 12.5 %Grundy County: 8.2 %Guthrie County: 22.8 %Hamilton County: 14.8 %Hancock County: 10.3 %Hardin County: 12.9 %Harrison County: 11.2 %Henry County: 9.9 %Howard County: 14.3 %Humboldt County: 8.8 %Ida County: 12.2 %Iowa County: 7.9 %Jackson County: 13.5 %Jasper County: 10.8 %Jefferson County: 12.6 %Johnson County: 7 %Jones County: 9.4 %Keokuk County: 11.6 %Kossuth County: 11.6 %Lee County: 11.6 %Linn County: 6.8 %Louisa County: 14.9 %Lucas County: 11.4 %Lyon County: 10 %Madison County: 7.4 %Mahaska County: 9.2 %Marion County: 5.9 %Marshall County: 8.6 %Mills County: 13.5 %Mitchell County: 9.2 %Monona County: 14.4 %Monroe County: 18.4 %Montgomery County: 13 %Muscatine County: 8.4 %O'Brien County: 13.3 %Osceola County: 8.3 %Page County: 12 %Palo Alto County: 18.3 %Plymouth County: 5.4 %Pocahontas County: 15.1 %Polk County: 6 %Pottawattamie County: 7.2 %Poweshiek County: 12.3 %Ringgold County: 30.3 %Sac County: 18.7 %Scott County: 9.3 %Shelby County: 9.3 %Sioux County: 5.2 %Story County: 7.2 %Tama County: 12.5 %Taylor County: 16.1 %Union County: 15.1 %Van Buren County: 18.6 %Wapello County: 10.6 %Warren County: 5.6 %Washington County: 8 %Wayne County: 16.7 %Webster County: 7.6 %Winnebago County: 12.2 %Winneshiek County: 8.5 %Woodbury County: 6.6 %Worth County: 9.1 %Wright County: 15.2 %
  • Under 7.9
  • 7.9 to 9.2
  • 9.2 to 11
  • 11 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Dickinson County: 40.7 %Dickinson County40.7Ringgold County: 30.3 %Ringgold County30.3Allamakee County: 24.1 %Allamakee County24.1Guthrie County: 22.8 %Guthrie County22.8Appanoose County: 22.4 %Appanoose County22.4Adams County: 19.3 %Adams County19.3Sac County: 18.7 %Sac County18.7Van Buren County: 18.6 %Van Buren County18.6Monroe County: 18.4 %Monroe County18.4Calhoun County: 18.4 %Calhoun County18.4Palo Alto County: 18.3 %Palo Alto County18.3Decatur County: 17.3 %Decatur County17.3Clayton County: 16.8 %Clayton County16.8Wayne County: 16.7 %Wayne County16.7Taylor County: 16.1 %Taylor County16.1Wright County: 15.2 %Wright County15.2Pocahontas County: 15.1 %Pocahontas County15.1Union County: 15.1 %Union County15.1Louisa County: 14.9 %Louisa County14.9Hamilton County: 14.8 %Hamilton County14.8Emmet County: 14.7 %Emmet County14.7Monona County: 14.4 %Monona County14.4Howard County: 14.3 %Howard County14.3Delaware County: 14.1 %Delaware County14.1Jackson County: 13.5 %Jackson County13.5Mills County: 13.5 %Mills County13.5Cerro Gordo County: 13.4 %Cerro Gordo County13.4Fayette County: 13.3 %Fayette County13.3O'Brien County: 13.3 %O'Brien County13.3Fremont County: 13.2 %Fremont County13.2Montgomery County: 13 %Montgomery County13Hardin County: 12.9 %Hardin County12.9Jefferson County: 12.6 %Jefferson County12.6Tama County: 12.5 %Tama County12.5Greene County: 12.5 %Greene County12.5Buchanan County: 12.4 %Buchanan County12.4Poweshiek County: 12.3 %Poweshiek County12.3Winnebago County: 12.2 %Winnebago County12.2Franklin County: 12.2 %Franklin County12.2Ida County: 12.2 %Ida County12.2Dickinson County: 40.7 %Dickinson County40.7Ringgold County: 30.3 %Ringgold County30.3Allamakee County: 24.1 %Allamakee County24.1Guthrie County: 22.8 %Guthrie County22.8Appanoose County: 22.4 %Appanoose County22.4Adams County: 19.3 %Adams County19.3Sac County: 18.7 %Sac County18.7Van Buren County: 18.6 %Van Buren County18.6Monroe County: 18.4 %Monroe County18.4Calhoun County: 18.4 %Calhoun County18.4Palo Alto County: 18.3 %Palo Alto County18.3Decatur County: 17.3 %Decatur County17.3Clayton County: 16.8 %Clayton County16.8Wayne County: 16.7 %Wayne County16.7Taylor County: 16.1 %Taylor County16.1Wright County: 15.2 %Wright County15.2Pocahontas County: 15.1 %Pocahontas County15.1Union County: 15.1 %Union County15.1Louisa County: 14.9 %Louisa County14.9Hamilton County: 14.8 %Hamilton County14.8Emmet County: 14.7 %Emmet County14.7Monona County: 14.4 %Monona County14.4Howard County: 14.3 %Howard County14.3Delaware County: 14.1 %Delaware County14.1Jackson County: 13.5 %Jackson County13.5Mills County: 13.5 %Mills County13.5Cerro Gordo County: 13.4 %Cerro Gordo County13.4Fayette County: 13.3 %Fayette County13.3O'Brien County: 13.3 %O'Brien County13.3Fremont County: 13.2 %Fremont County13.2Montgomery County: 13 %Montgomery County13Hardin County: 12.9 %Hardin County12.9Jefferson County: 12.6 %Jefferson County12.6Tama County: 12.5 %Tama County12.5Greene County: 12.5 %Greene County12.5Buchanan County: 12.4 %Buchanan County12.4Poweshiek County: 12.3 %Poweshiek County12.3Winnebago County: 12.2 %Winnebago County12.2Franklin County: 12.2 %Franklin County12.2Ida County: 12.2 %Ida County12.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Dickinson County40.7
2Ringgold County30.3
3Allamakee County24.1
4Guthrie County22.8
5Appanoose County22.4
6Adams County19.3
7Sac County18.7
8Van Buren County18.6
9Monroe County18.4
10Calhoun County18.4
11Palo Alto County18.3
12Decatur County17.3
13Clayton County16.8
14Wayne County16.7
15Taylor County16.1
16Wright County15.2
17Pocahontas County15.1
18Union County15.1
19Louisa County14.9
20Hamilton County14.8
21Emmet County14.7
22Monona County14.4
23Howard County14.3
24Delaware County14.1
25Jackson County13.5
25Mills County13.5
27Cerro Gordo County13.4
28Fayette County13.3
29O'Brien County13.3
30Fremont County13.2
31Montgomery County13
32Hardin County12.9
33Jefferson County12.6
34Tama County12.5
35Greene County12.5
36Buchanan County12.4
37Poweshiek County12.3
38Winnebago County12.2
39Franklin County12.2
39Ida County12.2
41Davis County12.1
42Page County12
43Clay County11.9
44Clarke County11.7
45Keokuk County11.6
46Lee County11.6
47Kossuth County11.6
48Adair County11.5
49Audubon County11.4
50Lucas County11.4
51Clinton County11.2
52Harrison County11.2
53Jasper County10.8
54Wapello County10.6
55Butler County10.5
55Crawford County10.5
57Hancock County10.3
58Chickasaw County10.1
59Boone County10
60Lyon County10
61Henry County9.9
62Cass County9.9
63Cedar County9.7
64Jones County9.4
65Shelby County9.3
66Scott County9.3
67Des Moines County9.2
67Mitchell County9.2
69Mahaska County9.2
70Worth County9.1
71Benton County9
72Humboldt County8.8
73Floyd County8.6
74Marshall County8.6
75Winneshiek County8.5
76Black Hawk County8.4
77Muscatine County8.4
78Osceola County8.3
79Cherokee County8.2
79Grundy County8.2
81Buena Vista County8.2
82Washington County8
83Iowa County7.9
84Carroll County7.7
85Webster County7.6
86Bremer County7.6
87Madison County7.4
88Pottawattamie County7.2
89Story County7.2
90Johnson County7
91Dubuque County6.8
91Linn County6.8
93Woodbury County6.6
94Polk County6
95Marion County5.9
96Dallas County5.8
97Warren County5.6
98Plymouth County5.4
99Sioux County5.2

Other periods

About this ranking

Vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units.

More on how it is measured
  • Vacant units include those for rent or for sale, rented or sold but not yet occupied, for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, for migrant workers, and other vacant units.
  • United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

This gross rate counts seasonal and other off-market vacant units, so it is much higher than the rental and homeowner vacancy rates of the Housing Vacancy Survey (rental_vacancy_rate and homeowner_vacancy_rate) and cannot be compared with them. Counties with many holiday homes have high rates.

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 B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_iowa_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Iowa by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/iowa-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)?

Dickinson County, with 40.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)?

Sioux County, with 5.2% in 2021.

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 B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US): other rankings

Counties in Iowa: more rankings