Population History of Van Buren County
Van Buren County was among the first of the counties in Iowa to be settled and was one of the most populous in the early days of Iowa statehood. At the time of the 1850 Federal Census, only Lee county (pop. 18,861) and Des Moines county (pop. 12,988) had more residents. This was undoubtedly due to the advantage of navigation and trade on the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers in pioneer times. Once the Des Moines river was closed to commercial navigation the population of the county began to slide downward.
 
Year Population Rank
1850 12,270 3
1860 17,081 11
1870 17,672 27
1880 17,043 41
1890 16,253 53
1900 17,354 69
1910 15,020 75
1920 14,060 84
1930 12,603 89
1940 12,053 90
1950 11,007 93
1960 9,778 95
1970 8,643 93
1980 8,626 92
1990 7,676 93
2000 7,809 93
2010 7,570 90
2020 7,203 90
 
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Decennial Census
   1900-1990 Cenuses: Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 Compiled
      and edited by Richard L. Forstall, Population Division U.S. Bureau of the Census
   1850-1890 Censuses: Eleventh Census of the United States - 1890, Table 4
Prepared By: State Library of Iowa, State Data Center Program, 800-248-4483
 


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