Iowa
Click the links below to view state facts.
Iowa Population News Articles
Population Density
Historic & Projected Growth
Population by County
POPULATION DENSITY
People per square mile, 2010: 54.5
People per square mile, 2020: 57.1
HISTORIC & PROJECTED GROWTH 1790 TO 2040
Year |
Population |
1790 |
0 |
1800 |
0 |
1810 |
0 |
1820 |
0 |
1830 |
0 |
1840 |
43,112 |
1850 |
192,914 |
1860 |
674,913 |
1870 |
1,194,020 |
1880 |
1,624,615 |
1890 |
1,912,297 |
1900 |
2,231,853 |
1910 |
2,224,771 |
1920 |
2,404,021 |
1930 |
2,470,939 |
1940 |
2,538,268 |
1950 |
2,621,073 |
1960 |
2,757,537 |
1970 |
2,825,368 |
1980 |
2,913,808 |
1990 |
2,776,755 |
2000 |
2,926,324 |
2010 |
3,046,355 |
2020 |
3,190,369 |
2030 |
3,317,412 |
2040 |
3,392,783 |
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census & Weldon Cooper Center, Demographics Research Group
(The Census Bureau and Weldon Cooper Center have not yet provided updated State projections to reflect 2020 census numbers.)
Population by County
Population By County |
Census 2020 Population |
Census 2010 Population |
Change from 2010 |
Percent Change |
IOWA |
3,190,369 |
3,046,355 |
-144,014 |
-4.51% |
Adair County |
7,496 |
7,682 |
-186 |
-2.42% |
Adams County |
3,704 |
4,029 |
-325 |
-8.07% |
Allamakee County |
14,061 |
14,330 |
-269 |
-1.88% |
Appanoose County |
12,317 |
12,887 |
-570 |
-4.42% |
Audubon County |
5,674 |
6,119 |
-445 |
-7.27% |
Benton County |
25,575 |
26,076 |
-501 |
-1.92% |
Black Hawk County |
131,144 |
131,090 |
54 |
0.04% |
Boone County |
26,715 |
26,306 |
409 |
1.55% |
Bremer County |
24,988 |
24,276 |
712 |
2.93% |
Buchanan County |
20,565 |
20,958 |
-393 |
-1.88% |
Buena Vista County |
20,823 |
20,260 |
563 |
2.78% |
Butler County |
14,334 |
14,867 |
-533 |
-3.59% |
Calhoun County |
9,927 |
9,670 |
257 |
2.66% |
Carroll County |
20,760 |
20,816 |
-56 |
-0.27% |
Cass County |
13,127 |
13,956 |
-829 |
-5.94% |
Cedar County |
18,505 |
18,499 |
6 |
0.03% |
Cerro Gordo County |
43,127 |
44,151 |
-1,024 |
-2.32% |
Cherokee County |
11,658 |
12,072 |
-414 |
-3.43% |
Chickasaw County |
12,012 |
12,439 |
-427 |
-3.43% |
Clarke County |
9,748 |
9,286 |
462 |
4.98% |
Clay County |
16,384 |
16,667 |
-283 |
-1.70% |
Clayton County |
17,043 |
18,129 |
-1,086 |
-5.99% |
Clinton County |
46,460 |
49,116 |
-2,656 |
-5.41% |
Crawford County |
16,525 |
17,096 |
-571 |
-3.34% |
Dallas County |
99,678 |
66,135 |
33,543 |
50.72% |
Davis County |
9,110 |
8,753 |
357 |
4.08% |
Decatur County |
7,645 |
8,457 |
-812 |
-9.60% |
Delaware County |
17,488 |
17,764 |
-276 |
-1.55% |
Des Moines County |
38,910 |
40,325 |
-1,415 |
-3.51% |
Dickinson County |
17,703 |
16,667 |
1,036 |
6.22% |
Dubuque County |
99,266 |
93,653 |
5,613 |
5.99% |
Emmet County |
9,388 |
10,302 |
-914 |
-8.87% |
Fayette County |
19,509 |
20,880 |
-1,371 |
-6.57% |
Floyd County |
15,627 |
16,303 |
-676 |
-4.15% |
Franklin County |
10,019 |
10,680 |
-661 |
-6.19% |
Fremont County |
6,605 |
7,441 |
-836 |
-11.24% |
Greene County |
8,771 |
9,336 |
-565 |
-6.05% |
Grundy County |
12,329 |
12,453 |
-124 |
-1.00% |
Guthrie County |
10,623 |
10,954 |
-331 |
-3.02% |
Hamilton County |
15,039 |
15,673 |
-634 |
-4.05% |
Hancock County |
10,795 |
11,341 |
-546 |
-4.81% |
Hardin County |
16,878 |
17,534 |
-656 |
-3.74% |
Harrison County |
14,582 |
14,928 |
-346 |
-2.32% |
Henry County |
20,482 |
20,145 |
337 |
1.67% |
Howard County |
9,469 |
9,566 |
-97 |
-1.01% |
Humboldt County |
9,597 |
9,815 |
-218 |
-2.22% |
Ida County |
7,005 |
7,089 |
-84 |
-1.18% |
Iowa County |
16,662 |
16,355 |
307 |
1.88% |
Jackson County |
19,485 |
19,848 |
-363 |
-1.83% |
Jasper County |
37,813 |
36,842 |
971 |
2.64% |
Jefferson County |
15,663 |
16,843 |
-1,180 |
-7.01% |
Johnson County |
152,854 |
130,882 |
21,972 |
16.79% |
Jones County |
20,646 |
20,638 |
8 |
0.04% |
Keokuk County |
10,033 |
10,511 |
-478 |
-4.55% |
Kossuth County |
14,828 |
15,543 |
-715 |
-4.60% |
Lee County |
33,555 |
35,862 |
-2,307 |
-6.43% |
Linn County |
230,299 |
211,226 |
19,073 |
9.03% |
Louisa County |
10,837 |
11,387 |
-550 |
-4.83% |
Lucas County |
8,634 |
8,898 |
-264 |
-2.97% |
Lyon County |
11,934 |
11,581 |
353 |
3.05% |
Madison County |
16,548 |
15,679 |
869 |
5.54% |
Mahaska County |
22,190 |
22,381 |
-191 |
-0.85% |
Marion County |
33,414 |
33,309 |
105 |
0.32% |
Marshall County |
40,105 |
40,648 |
-543 |
-1.34% |
Mills County |
14,484 |
15,059 |
-575 |
-3.82% |
Mitchell County |
10,565 |
10,776 |
-211 |
-1.96% |
Monona County |
8,751 |
9,243 |
-492 |
-5.32% |
Monroe County |
7,577 |
7,970 |
-393 |
-4.93% |
Montgomery County |
10,330 |
10,740 |
-410 |
-3.82% |
Muscatine County |
43,235 |
42,745 |
490 |
1.15% |
O’Brien County |
14,182 |
14,398 |
-216 |
-1.50% |
Osceola County |
6,192 |
6,462 |
-270 |
-4.18% |
Page County |
15,211 |
15,932 |
-721 |
-4.53% |
Palo Alto County |
8,996 |
9,421 |
-425 |
-4.51% |
Plymouth County |
25,698 |
24,986 |
712 |
2.85% |
Pocahontas County |
7,078 |
7,310 |
-232 |
-3.17% |
Polk County |
492,401 |
430,640 |
61,761 |
14.34% |
Pottawattamie County |
93,667 |
93,158 |
509 |
0.55% |
Poweshiek County |
18,662 |
18,914 |
-252 |
-1.33% |
Ringgold County |
4,663 |
5,131 |
-468 |
-9.12% |
Sac County |
9,814 |
10,350 |
-536 |
-5.18% |
Scott County |
174,669 |
165,224 |
9,445 |
5.72% |
Shelby County |
11,746 |
12,167 |
-421 |
-3.46% |
Sioux County |
35,872 |
33,704 |
2,168 |
6.43% |
Story County |
98,537 |
89,542 |
8,995 |
10.05% |
Tama County |
17,135 |
17,767 |
-632 |
-3.56% |
Taylor County |
5,896 |
6,317 |
-421 |
-6.66% |
Union County |
12,138 |
12,534 |
-396 |
-3.16% |
Van Buren County |
7,203 |
7,570 |
-367 |
-4.85% |
Wapello County |
35,437 |
35,625 |
-188 |
-0.53% |
Warren County |
52,403 |
46,225 |
6,178 |
13.37% |
Washington County |
22,565 |
21,704 |
861 |
3.97% |
Wayne County |
6,497 |
6,403 |
94 |
1.47% |
Webster County |
36,999 |
38,013 |
-1,014 |
-2.67% |
Winnebago County |
10,679 |
10,866 |
-187 |
-1.72% |
Winneshiek County |
20,070 |
21,056 |
-986 |
-4.68% |
Woodbury County |
105,941 |
102,172 |
3,769 |
3.69% |
Worth County |
7,443 |
7,598 |
-155 |
-2.04% |
Wright County |
12,943 |
13,229 |
-286 |
-2.16% |
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Iowa Population News Articles
Changing climate contributes to record Iowa tornado season – July 1, 2024
Factory Farm Waste Intensifies Health Risks In NW Iowa Flooding – June 25, 2024
Data Shows Iowa Air Quality Monitoring is Insufficient to Protect Public Health – June 18, 2024
Advocates, law enforcement react to temporary injunction on Iowa migrant reentry law – June 18, 2024
Iowa readies a $200 million bond to control agricultural runoff and improve water quality – June 3, 2024
An Iowa farm county seeks answers amid cancer rates 50% higher than national average – May 7, 2024
Iowa officials describe border security efforts during recent $2 million deployment – October 25, 2023
The 5 Fastest Growing Towns in Iowa Everyone Is Talking About – October 23, 2023
What does Iowa water quality look like after 10 years with the Nutrient Reduction Strategy? – October 18, 2023
Discover the Largest Cities in Iowa (By Population, Total Area, and Economic Impact) – October 14, 2023
Iowa’s Latino youth will help shape the future of an aging state – October 3, 2023
Iowa Has A Jaw Dropping Number Of Registered Cars On The Road – July 12, 2023
DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO LINGER IN SOUTHEAST IOWA – July 7, 2023
Iowa electric vehicle registrations up nearly 30%, but charging stations lag – July 7, 2023
Iowa climate action leaders optimistic in face of new records – July 5, 2023
Iowa expert shares lessons about hog production and water pollution – June 30, 2023
Iowa Factory Farms Are Supercharging the Climate Crisis – December 13, 2022
Iowa Watershed Watchers Want Action on Climate Change – December 11, 2022
Is Cedar River segment impaired for nitrate? Experts disagree – December 7, 2022
Rapid growth in Tiffin spurs exciting new projects in the corridor – December 2, 2022
‘Major source’ of air pollution operated without permits for decades, DNR says – November 22, 2022
Swimming not recommended at these 11 Iowa beaches due to high bacteria levels, DNR says – July 17, 2022
Homelessness Symposium aims to end homeless crisis in Iowa – July 13, 2022
Scientists say Iowa’s future climate could lead to more amoeba cases – July 12, 2022
Detailed Dive Into Iowa Drought and Crop Conditions – July 8, 2022
Iowa court reverses precedent on Iowa pig farm lawsuits – June 30, 2022
The Trickle-Down Effect of Agriculture in Iowa – March 16, 2022
One rural Iowa town wants to grow. So, it’s building its first child care center. – March 15, 2022
Another push to update Iowa’s 44-year-old ‘Bottle Bill’ – March 14, 2022
Concern on the rise over carbon capture pipelines in North Iowa – March 10, 2022
Iowa impaired waters list grows in 2022 – February 21, 2022
Company Plans To Grind Wind Turbine Blades Near Earlham, Iowa – November 23, 2021
Climate change is making it harder to provide clean drinking water in farm country – November 23, 2021
‘We don’t have much time’: University of Iowa adds another sustainability-focused program – November 14, 2021
This Is the Fastest Growing City in Iowa – November 12, 2021
Pollution around some eastern Iowa factories is higher than federal goal – November 11, 2021
The Elbert Files: Iowa’s bad water – September 17, 2021
4.5 million Iowa trees damaged by 2020 derecho – September 16, 2021
September is the second-fastest warming month in Des Moines, data shows – September 14, 2021
EPA fines Iowa diesel repair company $75,000 for disabling equipment to reduce air pollution – Aug 31, 2021
North Liberty has fastest growing population above 5,000 in Iowa – Aug 29, 2021
DeLong to lead ISU Extension Water Quality Program – June 27, 2021
Iowa Supreme Court halts lawsuit over farm runoff pollution – June 18, 2021
Experts say climate change is not driving state-wide drought – June 18, 2021
Double whammy: Heat, toxic algae bedevil water sector – June 16, 2021
Four Iowa Beaches Already Under Water Quality Advisories – June 14, 2021
Burras: Pesticides, forest degradation, extreme weather leading to monarch butterfly decline – March 4, 2021
Migrating swans move through Iowa – March 10, 2021
Environmentalists make long-shot attempt to ban new factory farms – February 23, 2021
New research reaffirms the local impact of climate change in Iowa – March 15, 2021
Des Moines considers clean energy resolution – December 9, 2020
Citing concerns over city resources, Iowa City Council tables discussion on 196-acre annexation – December 2, 2020
750 Iowa water bodies considered impaired, but number declines for first time in two decades – December 1, 2020
IOWA CONSIDERS PURCHASING MORE LAND FOR PARK FOR WATER QUALITY PROTECTIONS – November 26, 2020
Saturated buffer slated to improve water quality near Indian Creek – November 18, 2020
Federal funding coming for repairs to flood-damaged western Iowa roads – September 29, 2020
Loss of milkweeds linked to drop in monarch butterfly population – September 9, 2020
Iowa Farmers Face Climate-Fueled Destruction, While the Industry Says it’s ‘Just Weather’ – September 9, 2020
DNR issues 10 E. coli beach warnings for August 7-13 – August 7, 2020
Iowa sees hotter-than-normal year so far – August 7, 2020
Rural watershed residents trying to kick urban counties out of watershed council – July 31, 2020
Iowa DNR: Fireworks triggered fine particle pollution at some sites – July 17, 2020
Farmers join programs that pay them to combat climate change in Iowa – July 16, 2020
DNR issues 10 E. coli beach warnings for August 7-13 – August 7, 2020
Iowa sees hotter-than-normal year so far – August 7, 2020
Rural watershed residents trying to kick urban counties out of watershed council – July 31, 2020
Iowa DNR: Fireworks triggered fine particle pollution at some sites – July 17, 2020
Farmers join programs that pay them to combat climate change in Iowa – July 16, 2020
Iowa farm group restoring habitat for bees, fish – May 18, 2020
Panorama Park in Scott County estimated to be fastest growing city in the state – May 22, 2020
Farmers Must Adapt as U.S. Corn Belt Shifts Northward – May 26, 2020
Study shows how development threatens farmland – June 3, 2020
Adding Job Creation to List of Benefits From Ag Conservation – June 9, 2020
Iowa’s Population Trends Similar to Neighboring States – Feb 1, 2020
Iowa Farmers Union takes aim at climate change – January 25, 2020
Riverdale housing plat receives OK, could double city’s population – January 8, 2020
Ames Prepares for Major Population Growth by 2040 – January 7, 2020
Iowa City firefighters see increased service calls for 2019 – January 5, 2020
As Des Moines grows, so does the city’s air pollution – October 24, 2019
Will Rollback of Pollution Regulations Accelerate Iowa Climate Change? – October 21, 2019
Climate change is shaping Iowa’s physical and political landscape – October 13, 2019
Report: Climate Change Impacts Clearer In Iowa Than Much Of US – September 5, 2019
90 minutes or more to get to work? It’s becoming more common, even in Iowa – September 3, 2019
Is county sitting on trillion dollar fortune? Supervisors contract Iowa law students to study implications – August 31, 2019
Iowans Creating Habitats to Reverse the Decline of Monarch Butterflies – August 26, 2019
Iowa’s Future Caucus investigates how to grow renewable energy industry – August 16, 2019
Bigger trucks will cause bigger problem for Iowa’s ailing bridges, state and local officials tell Congress – July 8, 2019
Nitrates in Iowa drinking water: What does it mean for you? – June 28, 2019
Iowa Water Festival connects community to water quality issues – June 23, 2019
It’s a record: Iowa has wettest 12-month period since official records began in 1895 – June 15, 2019
Iowans use a lot of energy. Here’s how much. – May 3, 2019
Iowa water quality getting worse, underfunded – May 3, 2019
Iowa’s dams, bridges and levees earn poor marks on report card – May 2, 2019
Iowa State Study Highlights Continuing Rural to Metro Population Change – April 26, 2019
UI students make campus green space more habitable for bees with a new garden – April 25, 2019
Conservation efforts in Iowa contribute to long-term monarch recovery – February 7, 2019
Onawa water starting to clear up with treatment – February 7, 2019
Factory Farms Pollute the Environment and Poison Drinking Water – January 29. 2019
Interstate projects trigger population, development growth in northern Johnson County – January 27, 2019