Auto · County · Iowa
Gas stations in Buena Vista County, IA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gas stations in Buena Vista County, IA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,540 of 2,358 scored counties
#43 of 64 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 11
- 10 chain locations (91%)
- Official establishments
- 13
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $22.8M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $3,021 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.1M
- 13% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.6
- 34% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 20,449
- −1.7% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Buena Vista County
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Buena Vista County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 11 gas stations in Buena Vista County. Chain locations make up 91% of them, against 84% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.6, 34% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.
Households in Buena Vista County spend about $22.8M a year on gasoline and other fuels, or $3,021 per household, 16% above the U.S. average. Spread across 11 gas stations, that is $2.1M per station, 13% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
Official counts show 13 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in Buena Vista County in 2023. That is one for every 580 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S.
Population estimates show Buena Vista County declined 1.7% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. For gas stations, Buena Vista County has a Groundwork market score of 41 (lower middle): #1,540 of 2,358 scored counties and #43 of 64 scored counties in Iowa.
How Buena Vista County compares
The same measures for Iowa and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Buena Vista County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.6 | 10.4 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $2.1M | $2.8M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 580 | 783 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | −2.8% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −1.7% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $3,021 | $2,867 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $71,719 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 12 → 13
- Employees, 2023
- 135
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $3.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1110 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 10The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Buena Vista County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Buena Vista County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 20,449−1.7% since 2020
- Households
- 7,546
- Median age
- 36.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 73%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 575 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 36
- Median household income
- $71,719+25.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $94,361
- Median home value
- $159,500
- Jobs located here
- 11,467
- Daytime population
- 22,374Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Buena Vista County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Buena Vista County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for gas stations, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Buena Vista County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dallas County, IA | 82 | 20 | 4.7 | $6.1M | +17.8% | #105 of 2,358 |
| 2Warren County, IA | 81 | 15 | 7.3 | $4.3M | +9.0% | #126 of 2,358 |
| 3Madison County, IA | 76 | 6 | 9.0 | $3.6M | +3.8% | #232 of 2,358 |
| 4Boone County, IA | 74 | 8 | 7.3 | $4.3M | +0.4% | #281 of 2,358 |
| 5Johnson County, IA | 72 | 44 | 6.9 | $3.7M | +4.6% | #334 of 2,358 |
| 6Polk County, IA | 71 | 92 | 4.5 | $6M | +4.8% | #358 of 2,358 |
| 7Story County, IA | 71 | 30 | 7.7 | $3.5M | +2.7% | #362 of 2,358 |
| 8Marshall County, IA | 67 | 11 | 7.1 | $4.3M | −0.5% | #475 of 2,358 |
| 9Marion County, IA | 66 | 16 | 12.0 | $2.7M | +2.3% | #518 of 2,358 |
| 10Plymouth County, IA | 63 | 8 | 7.8 | $4.1M | 0.0% | #609 of 2,358 |
| 43Buena Vista County, IA | 41 | 11 | 14.6 | $2.1M | −1.7% | #1,540 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Buena Vista County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Buena Vista County, IA?
There are 11 gas stations on map listings in Buena Vista County as of September 2026. 10 of them (91%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 13 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023.
How much do households in Buena Vista County, IA spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $22.8M a year, or $3,021 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 11 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $2.1M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 7,546 households in Buena Vista County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Buena Vista County, IA compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Buena Vista County has 14.6 gas stations per 10,000 households, 34% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $2.1M, 13% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the national ratio of gas stations to household spending, Buena Vista County would have about 10, against 11 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 580 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S.
How fast is Buena Vista County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Buena Vista County at 20,449 people in 2025, down 1.7% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 7,546 households. The median household income in Buena Vista County is $71,719 a year, 11% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Buena Vista County scores 41 for gas stations (lower middle), #1,540 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Buena Vista County. It maps the gas stations on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in Buena Vista County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Buena Vista County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Buena Vista County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.