County population in 2012: 20,592 (56% urban, 44% rural); it was 20,411 in 2000 County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 2,990 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 2,286 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 5,289 Renter-occupied apartments: 2,246 (it was 2,210 in 2000)
% of renters here:
29%
State:
28%
Land area: 575 sq. mi. Water area: 5.3 sq. mi.
Population density: 36 people per square mile
(low).
Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Buena Vista County: 84.8 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
We are giving away a $200 prize - enter simply by sending us your own pictures of this county!
Industries providing employment: Manufacturing (26.2%), Educational,health and social services (24.7%).
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2009: $1,048 (1.2%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2009: $945 (1.1%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 11.7%
(7.6% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 37.2% for Black residents, 25.6% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 6.1% for American Indian residents, 42.9% for Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander residents, 22.5% for other race residents, 12.6% for two or more races residents) Median age of residents in 2010: 37 years old
(Males: 35 years old, Females: 39 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 42 years old, Black residents: 21 years old, American Indian residents: 23 years old, Asian residents: 27 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 23 years old, Other race residents: 23 years old)
Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
10.5%
Whole state:
9.1%
Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
5.0%
Whole state:
3.8%
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Buena Vista County is $391 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $512 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $614 a month.
Notable locations in this county outside city limits:
Notable locations in Buena Vista County: Bluebird Access (A), Sulphur Springs (B), Sunrise Campgrounds (C), Stille Turkey Farm (D), West Scott (E), Peach (F), Racine (G), Crozier (H), Blain (I), Nagel Hog Farm (J), Kracht Farm (K), Storm Lake Wastewater Plant (L), Iowa State University Allee Experimental Farm (M), Little Sioux Country Club (N), Lake Creek Country Club (O), Log Cabin Museum (P), Coon Townhall (Q), Buena Vista County Home (R). Display/hide their locations on the map
Churches in Buena Vista County include: Zion Lutheran Church (A), Elk Church (B), Immanuel Church (C), Evangelical Free Church (D), Church of Christ (E), Saint John's Lutheran Church (F), Saint John Church (G), Saint Johns Church of Christ Church (H), Saint Johns Lutheran Church (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Cemeteries: Varina Cemetery (1), Maple Valley Cemetery (2), Lincoln Township Cemetery (3), Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery (4), Cooke Cemetery (5), First M E Church Cemetery (6), Newell Catholic Cemetery (7). Display/hide their locations on the map
Streams, rivers, and creeks: Brooke Creek (A), Cottonwood Creek (B), Soldier Creek (C), Poor Farm Creek (D), Outlet Creek (E), Powell Creek (F), Fox Run (G). Display/hide their locations on the map
Parks in Buena Vista County include: Buena Vista County Park (1), Storm Lake State Wildlife Management Area (2), Little Storm Lake Game Management Area (3), Marathon Poland Park (4), Sturchler Pit Area (5), Three Water Wildlife Area (6), South Cove Park (7), Leo Grau Wildlife Area (8), Bur Oak Wildlife Area (9). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 1,449 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 81.3% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 18.7%
Number of foreign born residents: 2,541 (23% naturalized citizens)
Buena Vista County:
12.4%
Whole state:
3.1%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
1995 to March 2000: 902
1990 to 1994: 530
1985 to 1989: 546
1980 to 1984: 297
1975 to 1979: 105
1970 to 1974: 85
1970 to 1974: 24
1965 to 1969: 52
Mean travel time to work (commute): 14.9 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 85.5%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 6,498
One, attached: 115
Two: 221
3 or 4: 427
5 to 9: 300
10 to 19: 89
20 or more: 163
Mobile homes: 332
Housing units in Buena Vista County with a mortgage: 2,394 (168 second mortgage, 230 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 1,874
Here:
56.1% with mortgage
State:
62.8% with mortgage
Religion statistics:
Percentage of population affiliated with a religious congregations: 66.90%
Here
66.9%
USA
50.2%
Total adherents: 13,655 Total congregations: 43
Adherents
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregations
Name
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church
Catholic Church
United Methodist Church
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Adherents
3,158 (23.1%)
2,665 (19.5%)
2,518 (18.4%)
2,158 (15.8%)
1,244 (9.1%)
Congregations
10 (23.3%)
7 (16.3%)
2 (4.7%)
6 (14.0%)
3 (7.0%)
Name
Evangelical Free Church of America
United Church of Christ
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
The Evangelical Covenant Church
Other
Adherents
430 (3.1%)
425 (3.1%)
390 (2.9%)
180 (1.3%)
487 (3.6%)
Congregations
3 (7.0%)
4 (9.3%)
2 (4.7%)
1 (2.3%)
5 (11.6%)
Source: Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Average size of farms: 414 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $257,862 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $259.62 The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 62.70% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $193,540 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 89.45% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $124,771 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 86.42% Average age of principal farm operators: 53 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 6.28 Milk cows as a percentage of all cattle and calves: 0.90% Corn for grain: 155329 harvested acres Soybeans for beans: 144212 harvested acres
Tornado activity:
Buena Vista County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is slightly below Iowa state average. It is 1.8 times above overall U.S. average. Tornadoes in this county have caused 4 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004. On 6/7/1984, a category 2 (max. wind speeds 113-157 mph) tornado injured 3 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.
Most recent natural disasters:
Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds, Incident Period: April 9, 2011 to April 10, 2011, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1977): May 5, 2011, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1977, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Wind
Iowa Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, Incident Period: June 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1930): July 29, 2010, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1930, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Iowa Severe Winter Storms, Incident Period: January 19, 2010 to January 26, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1880): March 2, 2010, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1880, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm
Iowa Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm, Incident Period: December 23, 2009 to December 27, 2009, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1877): February 25, 2010, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1877, Natural disaster type: Snowstorm, Winter Storm
Iowa Snow, Incident Period: February 28, 2007 to March 2, 2007, Emergency Declared (EM-3275): March 30, 2007, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3275, Natural disaster type: Snow
Iowa Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 1, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3239): September 10, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3239, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: May 19, 2004 to June 24, 2004, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1518): May 25, 2004, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1518, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Iowa Severe Weather, Tornadoes and Flooding, Incident Period: June 13, 1998 to July 15, 1998, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1230): July 2, 1998, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1230, Natural disaster type: Tornado, Flood
Iowa Flooding, Severe Storm, Incident Period: April 13, 1993 to October 1, 1993, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-996): July 9, 1993, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-996, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Iowa Ice Storm, Incident Period: October 31, 1991 to November 29, 1991, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-928): December 26, 1991, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-928, Natural disaster type: Ice Storm
3 other natural disasters have been reported since 1953.
The number of natural disasters in Buena Vista County (13) is near the US average (12). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 11 Emergencies Declared: 2
Causes of natural disasters: Floods: 4, Storms: 4, Tornadoes: 3, Floods: 3, Heavy Rain: 1, Wind: 1, Winter Storm: 1, Hurricane: 1, Ice Storm: 1, Snow: 1, Snowstorm: 1, Tornado: 1, Winter Storm: 1 (Note: Some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Other production occupations including supervisors (7%)
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (6%)
Laborers and material movers, hand (4%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (4%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (8%)
Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (6%)
Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (5%)
Food processing workers (5%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (4%)
Waiters and waitresses (4%)
Other management occupations except farmers and farm managers (3%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (54%)
Laos (20%)
Vietnam (5%)
Honduras (4%)
Canada (3%)
Guatemala (2%)
Philippines (2%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Buena Vista County (%):
German (37%)
Swedish (6%)
United States or American (6%)
Norwegian (6%)
Irish (5%)
English (5%)
Danish (3%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 6,958 (72%)
Carpooled: 1,158 (12%)
Bus or trolley bus: 21 (0%)
Motorcycle: 4 (0%)
Bicycle: 40 (0%)
Walked: 748 (8%)
Other means: 74 (1%)
Worked at home: 640 (7%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders
People in group quarters in Buena Vista County, Iowa in 2000:
942 people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus)
297 people in nursing homes
60 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill
45 people in hospices or homes for chronically ill
45 people in homes for the mentally retarded
21 people in other group homes
15 people in other hospitals or wards for chronically ill
11 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
5 people in homes for the mentally ill
People in group quarters in Buena Vista County, Iowa in 2010:
730 people in college/university student housing
215 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
25 people in residential treatment centers for juveniles (non-correctional)
20 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
16 people in group homes intended for adults
8 people in mental (psychiatric) hospitals and psychiatric units in other hospitals
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $44,502.
6.18% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($27,092 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
6.18%
Iowa average:
6.30%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
3.03% relocated from other counties in Iowa ($12,984 average AGI)
3.15% relocated from other states ($14,108 average AGI)
Buena Vista County:
3.15%
Iowa average:
2.55%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:
8.20% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($29,115 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
8.20%
Iowa average:
6.47%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
4.62% relocated to other counties in Iowa ($17,051 average AGI)
3.58% relocated to other states ($12,065 average AGI)
Buena Vista County:
3.58%
Iowa average:
2.80%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:
Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 12.3 Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 12.8
Births per 1000 population in Buena Vista County
Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 10.5 Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 9.4
Deaths per 1000 population in Buena Vista County
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 2.9 Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006: 4.3
Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Buena Vista County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 3,569 (3,289 aged, 280 disabled) Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 12% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 7%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 4.96 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 9198.250 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 208.370 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 36222.46
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1454.020 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 918.070 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 9.93
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 51.4 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 59.55
Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 4.96
Household type by relationship:
Households: 19,246
In family households: 16,269 (3,953 male householders, 1,074 female householders)
4,047 spouses, 5,591 children (5,190 natural, 142 adopted, 259 stepchildren), 305 grandchildren, 205 brothers or sisters, 155 parents, 318 other relatives, 496 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 2,977 (1,193 male householders (969 living alone)), 1,302 female householders (1,183 living alone)), 482 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 1,014 (268 institutionalized population)
Size of family households: 2,380 2-persons, 887 3-persons, 814 4-persons, 493 5-persons, 242 6-persons, 211 7-or-more-persons.
83.4% of residents of Buena Vista County speak English at home.
11.1% of residents speak Spanish at home (36% speak English very well, 21% speak English well, 30% speak English not well, 14% don't speak English at all).
1.2% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (69% speak English very well, 18% speak English well, 9% speak English not well, 4% don't speak English at all).
4.1% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (33% speak English very well, 36% speak English well, 20% speak English not well, 10% don't speak English at all).
0.1% of residents speak other language at home (100% speak English very well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $114,299,000 ($5671 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $1,832,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $47,094,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $27,322,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $16,282,000 Federal grants: $14,493,000 Federal procurement contracts: $1,026,000 ($12,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $8,083,000 ($985,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $3,126,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $5,566,000 Federal Government insurance: $73,086,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,268
Here:
63 per 1000 residents
State:
66 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 953
Here:
47 per 1000 residents
State:
48 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +791
Here:
+39 per 1000 residents
State:
+10 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -1,328
Here:
-66 per 1000 residents
State:
-14 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Buena Vista County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 3.79 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
6.5
State:
6.3
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
4.4
State:
4.2
Year house built
2005 or later: 45
2000 to 2004: 232
1990 to 1999: 628
1980 to 1989: 498
1970 to 1979: 1,020
1960 to 1969: 936
1950 to 1959: 1,179
1940 to 1949: 720
1939 or earlier: 2,948
Rooms in houses/apartments in Buena Vista County, Iowa
59% of Buena Vista County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 48% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 50% lived in Iowa.
Buena Vista County:
58.6%
State average:
57.7%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 14182
Northeast: 185
Midwest: 1980
South: 521
West: 905
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $24,400
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 1%
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 2%
Year Householders Moved Into Unit:
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Buena Vista County
37.0 years
38.0 years
(50.5%)
(49.5%)
, Cherokee County 
, Clay County 
, Ida County 
, O'Brien County 
, Palo Alto County 
, Pocahontas County 
, Sac County 
.
