County population in 2016: 25,197 (37% urban, 63% rural); it was 24,849 in 2000County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 4,733 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 2,966 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 7,255 Renter-occupied apartments: 2,176 (it was 2,117 in 2000)
% of renters here:
23%
State:
28%
Land area: 864 sq. mi.
Water area: 0.4 sq. mi.
Population density: 29 people per square mile (low).
Mar. 2016 cost of living index in Plymouth County: 84.4 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2016: $1,798 (1.2%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2016: $1,937 (1.3%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2016: 8.2%
Plymouth County:
8.2%
Iowa:
11.8%
(7.0% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 14.5% for Black residents, 23.8% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 39.4% for other race residents, 46.9% for two or more races residents)
Median age of residents in 2016: 41.5 years old
(Males: 40.9 years old, Females: 42.1 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 43.3 years old, Black residents: 49.2 years old, American Indian residents: 52.1 years old, Asian residents: 19.7 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 25.8 years old, Other race residents: 27.3 years old)
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Plymouth County is $414 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $498 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $671 a month.
Notable locations in this county outside city limits:
Notable locations in Plymouth 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 Plymouth 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 Plymouth 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: 816 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 91.5% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 20.4%
Number of foreign born residents: 670 (41.4% naturalized citizens)
Plymouth County:
2.7%
Whole state:
5.1%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
2010 or later: 237
2000 to 2009: 213
1990 to 1999: 41
1980 to 1989: 43
1970 to 1979: 33
Before 1970: 48
Note: State values scaled to Plymouth County population
Mean travel time to work (commute): 19.1 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 65.6%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 9,302
One, attached: 244
Two: 140
3 or 4: 176
5 to 9: 188
10 to 19: 95
20 to 49: 140
50 or more: 134
Mobile homes: 372
Housing units in Plymouth County with a mortgage: 4,453 (154 second mortgage, 345 home equity loan, 14 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 3,443
Here:
57.1% with mortgage
State:
60.6% with mortgage
Religion statistics for Plymouth County
Religion
Adherents
Congregations
Catholic
8,529
10
Mainline Protestant
6,937
28
Evangelical Protestant
2,944
13
Other
8
-
None
6,568
-
Plymouth County Religion Details
Source: Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E.Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H.Taylor. 2012. 2010 U.S.Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Food Environment Statistics:
Number of grocery stores: 6
Plymouth County:
2.47 / 10,000 pop.
State:
2.14 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (with gas): 10
Plymouth County:
4.11 / 10,000 pop.
Iowa:
5.55 / 10,000 pop.
Number of full-service restaurants: 23
This county:
9.45 / 10,000 pop.
State:
8.01 / 10,000 pop.
Adult diabetes rate:
Plymouth County:
8.2%
Iowa:
7.8%
Adult obesity rate:
Plymouth County:
28.3%
State:
27.3%
Low-income preschool obesity rate:
Here:
16.6%
State:
14.5%
Agriculture in Plymouth County:
Average size of farms: 397 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $207,911 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $242.68 The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 61.80% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $170,627 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 82.51% Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 0.50% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $100,211 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 89.25% Average age of principal farm operators: 52 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 12.50 Milk cows as a percentage of all cattle and calves: 5.24% Corn for grain: 212944 harvested acres Soybeans for beans: 201847 harvested acres Vegetables: 9 harvested acres
Tornado activity:
Plymouth County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is significantly below Iowa state average. It is 5033166.7 times below 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.
Earthquake activity:
Plymouth County-area historical earthquake activity is slightly above Iowa state average. It is 73% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 3/4/1983 at 06:32:18, a magnitude 4.6 (4.4 MB, 4.6 LG, 4.4 ML, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 189.8 miles away from Plymouth County center On 11/3/2002 at 20:41:56, a magnitude 4.3 (4.3 MB, 4.3 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 136.6 miles away from the county center On 7/9/1975 at 14:54:15, a magnitude 4.6 (4.6 MB) earthquake occurred 201.9 miles away from the county center On 2/6/1996 at 15:10:28, a magnitude 3.6 (3.6 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: II - III) earthquake occurred 69.9 miles away from the county center On 10/25/1990 at 06:25:25, a magnitude 3.9 (3.6 MB, 3.9 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 134.9 miles away from Plymouth County center On 6/5/1993 at 01:24:53, a magnitude 4.1 (4.1 LG, Depth: 6.2 mi) earthquake occurred 202.1 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), local magnitude (ML)
Most recent natural disasters:
Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, Incident Period: June 14, 2014 to June 24, 2014, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4184: July 24, 2014, FEMA Id: 4184, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood, Wind
Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: May 19, 2013 to June 15, 2013, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4126: July 02, 2013, FEMA Id: 4126, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
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: 1877, Natural disaster type: Snowstorm, Winter Storm
Iowa Snow, Incident Period: February 28, 2007 to March 02, 2007, Emergency Declared EM-3275: March 30, 2007, FEMA Id: 3275, Natural disaster type: Snow
Iowa Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 01, 2005, Emergency Declared EM-3239: September 10, 2005, FEMA Id: 3239, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Iowa Flooding, Incident Period: June 15, 1996 to June 30, 1996, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1133: August 21, 1996, FEMA Id: 1133, Natural disaster type: Flood
Iowa Flooding, Severe Storm, Incident Period: April 13, 1993 to October 01, 1993, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-996: July 09, 1993, FEMA Id: 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: 928, Natural disaster type: Ice Storm
Iowa Flooding, Severe Storm, Incident Period: May 18, 1990 to July 06, 1990, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-868: May 26, 1990, FEMA Id: 868, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Iowa Drought, Incident Period: March 31, 1977, Emergency Declared EM-3036: March 31, 1977, FEMA Id: 3036, Natural disaster type: Drought
2 other natural disasters have been reported since 1953.
The number of natural disasters in Plymouth County (12) is near the US average (13). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 9 Emergencies Declared: 3
Causes of natural disasters: Floods: 7, Storms: 4, Tornadoes: 2, Drought: 1, Hurricane: 1, Ice Storm: 1, Snow: 1, Snowstorm: 1, Wind: 1, Winter Storm: 1 (Note: Some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (10%)
Production occupations (10%)
Transportation occupations (10%)
Construction and extraction occupations (7%)
Office and administrative support occupations (6%)
Office and administrative support occupations (23%)
Education, training, and library occupations (9%)
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (8%)
Food preparation and serving related occupations (8%)
Personal care and service occupations (7%)
Sales and related occupations (7%)
Management occupations (6%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (36%)
Honduras (31%)
Guatemala (12%)
Philippines (4%)
Germany (4%)
Korea (3%)
Vietnam (3%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Plymouth County (%):
German (43%)
American (10%)
Dutch (6%)
Irish (5%)
English (3%)
Norwegian (2%)
European (2%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 9,476 (81.9%)
Carpooled: 893 (7.7%)
Bus or trolley bus: 14 (0.1%)
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means: 85 (0.7%)
Bicycle: 6 (0.1%)
Walked: 350 (3.0%)
Worked at home: 766 (6.6%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders ($)
People in group quarters in Plymouth County, Iowa in 2000:
284 people in nursing homes
52 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill
52 people in hospices or homes for chronically ill
19 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
19 people in homes for the mentally retarded
5 people in agriculture workers' dormitories on farms
People in group quarters in Plymouth County, Iowa in 2010:
287 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
57 people in residential treatment centers for adults
5 people in group homes intended for adults
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2010 was $62,133.
4.81% of this county's 2011 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2010 ($36,363 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
4.81%
Iowa average:
5.75%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
2.97% relocated from other counties in Iowa ($22,996 average AGI)
1.84% relocated from other states ($13,368 average AGI)
Plymouth County:
1.84%
Iowa average:
2.41%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2010 and 2011:
5.61% of this county's 2010 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2011 ($39,270 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
5.61%
Iowa average:
5.94%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
3.28% relocated to other counties in Iowa ($21,350 average AGI)
2.33% relocated to other states ($17,920 average AGI)
Plymouth County:
2.33%
Iowa average:
2.60%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2010 and 2011:
Percentage of population without health insurance coverage in Plymouth County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2007: 4,326 (3,890 aged, 436 disabled) Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2007: 193 (3%)
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Aged persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Disabled persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Most common underlying causes of death in Plymouth County, Iowa in 1999 - 2014:
Atherosclerotic heart disease (402)
Bronchus or lung, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (206)
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, so described (145)
Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (139)
Unspecified dementia (99)
Generalized and unspecified atherosclerosis (89)
Colon, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (88)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 7% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 4%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 4.01 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 6,142 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 177 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 24,847
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1,286 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1,066 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 4
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 40 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 76
Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 4
Household type by relationship:
Households: 25,197
In family households: 20,956 (3,879 male householders, 2,987 female householders)
5,693 spouses, 7,269 children (6,582 natural, 311 adopted, 365 stepchildren), 199 grandchildren, 126 brothers or sisters, 55 parents, 171 other relatives, 530 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 3,858 (1,522 male householders (1,295 living alone)), 1,626 female householders (1,387 living alone)), 708 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 369
Size of family households: 3,434 2-persons, 1,073 3-persons, 1,258 4-persons, 882 5-persons, 144 6-persons, 102 7-or-more-persons.
4,286 married couples with children.
1,548 single-parent households (315 men, 1,233 women).
95.1% of residents of Plymouth speak English at home.
3.9% of residents speak Spanish at home (49% speak English very well, 20% speak English well, 23% speak English not well, 9% don't speak English at all).
0.6% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (75% speak English very well, 10% speak English well, 15% speak English not well).
0.3% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (44% speak English very well, 18% speak English well, 38% speak English not well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $117,909,000 ($4,731 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $1,639,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $53,868,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $23,179,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $16,943,000 Federal grants: $16,844,000 Federal procurement contracts: $1,183,000 ($156,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $5,891,000 ($399,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $971,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $11,305,000 Federal Government insurance: $111,085,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,542
Here:
62 per 1000 residents
State:
66 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 1,220
Here:
49 per 1000 residents
State:
48 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +89
Here:
+4 per 1000 residents
State:
+10 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -275
Here:
-11 per 1000 residents
State:
-14 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Plymouth County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 3.17 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
7.2
State:
6.7
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
5.0
State:
4.2
Year house built
2014 or later: 103
2010 to 2013: 156
2000 to 2009: 897
1990 to 1999: 1,218
1980 to 1989: 1,015
1970 to 1979: 1,567
1960 to 1969: 1,118
1950 to 1959: 946
1940 to 1949: 578
1939 or earlier: 3,117
Note: State values scaled to Plymouth population
Rooms in houses/apartments in Plymouth County, Iowa
Note: State values scaled to Plymouth County population
no vehicle: 180
1 vehicle: 1,459
2 vehicles: 3,565
3 vehicles: 1,658
4 vehicles: 713
5+ vehicles: 333
no vehicle: 343
1 vehicle: 822
2 vehicles: 604
3 vehicles: 247
4 vehicles: 102
5+ vehicles: 35
90% of Plymouth County residents lived in the same house 1 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 34% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 54% lived in Iowa.
Plymouth County:
89.7%
State average:
84.7%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 19,413
Other state: 4,984
Northeast: 165
Midwest: 3,407
South: 604
West: 806
Year Householders Moved Into Unit
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Plymouth County
Click here to upload your Plymouth County photos (outside city limits)
41.5 years
38.0 years
(49.3%)
(50.7%)
, Clay County 
, Hancock County 
, Ida County 
, Sac County 
, Woodbury County 
.
