Iowa

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Population

3.15M

0.351% growth

Median Age

38.3


Median Household Income

$58,570

4.13% growth

Poverty Rate

12%


Number of Employees

1.53M

0.927% growth

Median Property Value

$149,100

4.78% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Iowa had a population of 3.15M people with a median age of 38.3 and a median household income of $58,570. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Iowa grew from 3.13M to 3.15M, a 0.351% increase and its median household income grew from $56,247 to $58,570, a 4.13% increase.

The population of Iowa is 85.9% White Alone, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.31% Black or African American Alone. 8.07% of the people in Iowa speak a non-English language, and 96.8% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Iowa are Kaplan University-Davenport Campus (11,180 degrees awarded in 2016), Iowa State University (8,388 degrees), and University of Iowa (8,274 degrees).

The median property value in Iowa is $149,100, and the homeownership rate is 71.6%. Most people in Iowa commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 18.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Iowa is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Jason Mrachina

United States

Economy

The economy of Iowa employs 1.53M people. The largest industries in Iowa are Elementary & secondary schools (97,022 people), Construction (91,971 people), and Hospitals (77,661 people), and the highest paying industries are Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($215,984), Professional & commercial equipment & supplies merchant wholesalers ($111,160), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($110,987).

Median household income in Iowa is $58,570. Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.3 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,360. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.434, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$58,570

2017 value

± $851

4.13%

1 Year Growth

± 1.83%

Households in Iowa have a median annual income of $58,570, which is less than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $56,247 in 2016, which represents a 4.13% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Iowa compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$60,175

Average Male Salary

± $1,575

$46,360

Average Female Salary

± $1,221

In 2017, full-time male employees in Iowa made 1.3 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Iowa by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $56,525 ± $7,743

  2. White

    $46,220 ± $948

  3. American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

    $42,007 ± $13,617

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Iowa workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.22 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Iowa by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.434

2017 Wage GINI

0.444

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.434 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.29% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Dallas County, IA

  2. Polk County, IA

  3. Linn County, IA

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Iowa was Dallas County, IA with a value of $88,561, followed by Polk County, IA and Linn County, IA, with respective values of $65,995 and $63,149.

The following map shows all of the counties in Iowa colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Iowa (361k out of 3.02M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    288,702 ± 3,465

  2. Hispanic

    39,197 ± 1,360

  3. Black

    33,868 ± 1,327

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Iowa is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.53M

2017 Value

0.927%

1 Year growth

± 0.927%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Iowa grew at a rate of 0.927%, from 1.52M employees to 1.53M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Iowa, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (42,695 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (42,420 people), and Registered nurses (38,695 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Iowa.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Iowa, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (42,695 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (42,420 people), and Registered nurses (38,695 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of residents working as Biomedical & agricultural engineers (6.63 times higher than expected), Actuaries (5.11 times), and Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers (4.72 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Iowa, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($244,281), Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents ($172,097), and Dentists ($172,055).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.53M

2017 Value

0.927%

1 Year growth

± 0.927%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Iowa grew at a rate of 0.927%, from 1.52M employees to 1.53M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Iowa, are Elementary & secondary schools (97,022 people), Construction (91,971 people), and Hospitals (77,661 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Iowa, though some of these residents may live in Iowa and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Iowa, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (97,022 people), Construction (91,971 people), and Hospitals (77,661 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of Agricultural implement manufacturing (17.5 times higher than expected), Farm supplies merchant wholesalers (9.4 times), and Animal food, grain & oilseed milling (8.41 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Iowa, by average salary, are Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($215,984), Professional & commercial equipment & supplies merchant wholesalers ($111,160), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($110,987).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Cereal grains

    $24.8B

  2. Machinery

    $18.8B

  3. Other ag prods.

    $18.2B

In 2015, the top outbound Iowa product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $24.8B, followed by Machinery ($18.8B) and Other ag prods. ($18.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Iowa products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$245B

2015 Value

$363B

Projected 2045 Value

47.9% growth

In 2015, total outbound Iowa trade was $245B. This is expected to increase 47.9% to $363B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Iowa trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Iowa to other states, or from other states to Iowa.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Illinois

    $26.2B

  2. Minnesota

    $16.1B

  3. Nebraska

    $11.4B

In 2015, the top outbound Iowa domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $26.2B, followed by Minnesota with $16.1B and Nebraska and $11.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Iowa shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

95.3% of the population of Iowa has health coverage, with 53.9% on employee plans, 14.3% on Medicaid, 12.4% on Medicare, 13.6% on non-group plans, and 1.11% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Iowa was $8,200 in 2014. This is a 5.05% increase from the previous year ($7,806).

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1363 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.04% increase from the previous year (1349 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1561 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 756 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Appanoose County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (13.3%). Additionally, Union County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (39.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,363 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,363 patients per year. This represents a 1.04% increase from the previous year (1,349 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Iowa in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$8,200

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,076

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,702

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,317

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Iowa (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 5.05%, from $7,806 to $8,200.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

4.71%

Uninsured

53.9%

Employer Coverage

14.3%

Medicaid

12.4%

Medicare

13.6%

Non-Group

1.11%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Iowa grew by 10.6% from 4.26% to 4.71%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Iowa changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Appanoose County

    13.3% prevalence

  2. Crawford County

    12.6% prevalence

  3. Harrison County

    12.1% prevalence

Appanoose County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Iowa, at 13.3%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Iowa by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Iowa is home to a population of 3.15M people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2017, 4.97% of Iowa residents were born outside of the country (156k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Iowa is composed of 2.7M White Alone residents (85.9%), 186k Hispanic or Latino residents (5.9%), 104k Black or African American Alone residents (3.31%), 80.9k Asian Alone residents (2.57%), 57.8k Two or More Races residents (1.84%), 7.83k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.249%), 5.6k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.178%), and 2.53k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.0805%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Iowa are Spanish (116,008 speakers), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (11,085 speakers), and Vietnamese (10,706 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

38

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1

In 2017, the median age of all people in Iowa was 38.3. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 38, were generally older than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 38. But people in Iowa are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Iowa residents was 38.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

4.97%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

156k people

4.82%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

151k people

As of 2017, 4.97% of Iowa residents (156k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Iowa was 4.82%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Iowa compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    37,481 ± 4,725 people

  2. Vietnam

    11,395 ± 2,616 people

  3. China

    10,837 ± 2,551 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 37,481 Iowa residents, followed by Vietnam with 11,395 and China with 10,837.

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Citizenship

96.8%

2017 Citizenship

96.9%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 96.8% of Iowa residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Iowa was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Iowa compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    2.7M ± 1.76k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    186k ± 8k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    104k ± 4.2k

In 2017, there were 14.5 times more White Alone residents (2.7M people) in Iowa than any other race or ethnicity. There were 186k Hispanic or Latino and 104k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Iowa as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    116,008 speakers (3.94%)

  2. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    11,085 speakers (0.376%)

  3. Vietnamese

    10,706 speakers (0.363%)

8.07% of Iowa citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.8%. In 2017, the most common non-English language spoken in Iowa was Spanish. 3.94% of the overall population of Iowa are native Spanish speakers. 0.376% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) and 0.363% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    65,213 ± 2,803

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    26,002 ± 2,387

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    20,223 ± 2,158

Iowa has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.51 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Iowa awarded 67,521 degrees. The student population of Iowa is skewed towards women, with 117,551 male students and 150,627 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Iowa are White (48,833 and 76%), followed by Black or African American (5,123 and 7.97%), Hispanic or Latino (3,833 and 5.97%), and Unknown (3,400 and 5.29%).

The largest universities in Iowa by number of degrees awarded are Kaplan University-Davenport Campus (11,180 and 16.6%), Iowa State University (8,388 and 12.4%), and University of Iowa (8,274 and 12.3%).

The most popular majors in Iowa are Liberal Arts & Sciences (6,571 and 9.73%), General Business Administration & Management (3,442 and 5.1%), and Registered Nursing (3,361 and 4.98%).

The median tuition costs in Iowa are $28,143 for private four year colleges, and $7,098 and $20,462 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    1,896 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    1,744 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    1,737 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Iowa was Registered Nursing with 1,896 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Iowa according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Kaplan University-Davenport Campus

    11,180 degrees awarded

  2. Iowa State University

    8,388 degrees awarded

  3. University of Iowa

    8,274 degrees awarded

$7,098

Median In-State Public

$28,143

Median Private

In 2016, the Iowa institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kaplan University-Davenport Campus with 11,180 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

27,500

Degrees Awarded to Men

40,021

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 27,500 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Iowa, which is 0.687 times less than the 40,021 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Iowa by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    48,833 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    5,123 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    3,833 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Iowa were to White students. These 48,833 degrees mean that there were 9.53 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,123 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Iowa was $149,100 in 2017, which is 0.685 times smaller than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $142,300 to $149,100, a 4.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Iowa is 71.6%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Iowa have an average commute time of 18.4 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Iowa is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,570

Median Household Income

± $851

1.26M

Number of Households

± 15,667

In 2017, the median household income of the 1.26M households in Iowa grew to $58,570 from the previous year's value of $56,247.

The following chart displays the households in Iowa distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$149,100

2017 Median

± $1,674

$142,300

2016 Median

± $1,521

In 2017, the median property value in Iowa grew to to $149,100 from the previous year's value of $142,300.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Iowa compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Iowa the largest share of households have a property value in the $100k - $125k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Iowa distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Iowa the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

71.6%

2017 Homeownership

70.6%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 71.6% of the housing units in Iowa were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.6%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Iowa compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Iowa distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Iowa have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

18.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Iowa have a shorter commute time (18.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 1.48% of the workforce in Iowa have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Iowa compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    81.4%

  2. Carpooled

    8%

  3. Worked At Home

    5.11%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Iowa was Drove Alone (81.4%), followed by those who Carpooled (8%) and those who Worked At Home (5.11%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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