Palo Alto County Demographics

A map of Palo Alto County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	8,088	8,391	91.3%	93.3%
Hispanic	311	274	3.5%	3.0%
Multiracial	247	200	2.8%	2.2%
Black	145	52	1.6%	0.6%
Asian	57	37	0.6%	0.4%
Native American/Other	15	42	0.2%	0.5%

Palo Alto County, Iowa has an estimated population of 8,863, a slight decrease from the 8,996 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.3% White, 3.5% Hispanic, 2.8% Multiracial, 1.6% Black, 0.6% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Palo Alto County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Palo Alto has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Iowa overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Palo Alto County, that probability was 12.8% in 2020 and 16.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Palo Alto County is ranked the 82nd most populous county in Iowa, out of 99 counties. Palo Alto County was ranked the 82nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Palo Alto County's White Population

8,088 residents of Palo Alto County, or 91.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Palo Alto County is higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Palo Alto County ranks 35th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. White residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has decreased from 93.3% to 91.3%.

Palo Alto County is more White than neighboring Emmet County (85.2% White), Pocahontas County (88.6% White), and Clay County (91.1% White). Palo Alto County is less White than neighboring Kossuth County (91.7% White), and Dickinson County (93.4% White).

Palo Alto County's Black Population

145 residents of Palo Alto County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Palo Alto County is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Palo Alto County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's Black population has grown by an estimated 178.8%. Black residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has increased from 0.6% to 1.6%.

Palo Alto County is more Black than neighboring Pocahontas County (0.7% Black), Clay County (0.3% Black), Kossuth County (0.7% Black), and Dickinson County (0% Black).

Palo Alto County's Asian Population

57 residents of Palo Alto County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Palo Alto County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Palo Alto County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 54.1%. Asian residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Palo Alto County is more Asian than neighboring Emmet County (0.2% Asian), Pocahontas County (0.2% Asian), Kossuth County (0.4% Asian), and Dickinson County (0.5% Asian). Palo Alto County is less Asian than neighboring Clay County (0.8% Asian).

Palo Alto County's Hispanic Population

311 residents of Palo Alto County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Palo Alto County is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Palo Alto County ranks 55th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has increased from 3.0% to 3.5%.

Palo Alto County is more Hispanic than neighboring Dickinson County (2.9% Hispanic). Palo Alto County is less Hispanic than neighboring Emmet County (10.2% Hispanic), Pocahontas County (5.8% Hispanic), Clay County (4.7% Hispanic), and Kossuth County (4.5% Hispanic).

Palo Alto County's Native American/Other Population

15 residents of Palo Alto County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Palo Alto County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Palo Alto County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 64.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Palo Alto County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Dickinson County (0.1% Native American/Other). Palo Alto County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Emmet County (0.6% Native American/Other), Pocahontas County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Kossuth County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Palo Alto County's Multiracial Population

247 residents of Palo Alto County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Palo Alto County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Palo Alto County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Palo Alto County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 23.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Palo Alto County's population has increased from 2.2% to 2.8%.

Palo Alto County is more Multiracial than neighboring Emmet County (2.1% Multiracial), and Kossuth County (2.4% Multiracial). Palo Alto County is less Multiracial than neighboring Pocahontas County (3.9% Multiracial), Clay County (2.9% Multiracial), and Dickinson County (3.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.