Iowa

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Population

3.16M

0.332% growth

Median Age

38.1


Median Household Income

$59,955

2.36% growth

Poverty Rate

12%


Number of Employees

1.54M

0.58% growth

Median Property Value

$152,000

1.95% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Iowa had a population of 3.16M people with a median age of 38.1 and a median household income of $59,955. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Iowa grew from 3.15M to 3.16M, a 0.332% increase and its median household income grew from $58,570 to $59,955, a 2.36% increase.

The population of Iowa is 85.4% White Alone, 6.07% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.6% Black or African American Alone. 8.83% of the people in Iowa speak a non-English language, and 96.6% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Iowa are Kaplan University-Davenport Campus (9,624 degrees awarded in 2017), Iowa State University (9,044 degrees), and University of Iowa (8,372 degrees).

The median property value in Iowa is $152,000, and the homeownership rate is 71.3%. Most people in Iowa commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 18.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Iowa is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Jason Mrachina

United States

Economy

The economy of Iowa employs 1.54M people. The largest industries in Iowa are Elementary & secondary schools (95,929 people), Construction (83,721 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,251 people), and the highest paying industries are Drugs, sundries, & chemical & allied products merchant wholesalers ($139,440), Electronic shopping and mail-order houses ($123,034), and Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($117,849).

Median household income in Iowa is $59,955. Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $45,872. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.44, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$59,955

2018 value

± $877

2.36%

1 Year Growth

± 2.01%

Households in Iowa have a median annual income of $59,955, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $58,570 in 2017, which represents a 2.36% 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

$61,560

Average Male Salary

± $1,647

$45,872

Average Female Salary

± $1,352

In 2018, full-time male employees in Iowa made 1.34 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. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $54,930 ± $25,954

  2. White

    $47,771 ± $1,043

  3. Asian

    $43,191 ± $4,474

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Iowa workers was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. These workers were paid 1.15 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

0.44

2018 Wage GINI

0.434

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.44 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.35% growth from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2018 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 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Iowa was Dallas County, IA with a value of $83,990, followed by Polk County, IA and Linn County, IA, with respective values of $68,291 and $64,103.

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 13.1%. 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

1.54M

2018 Value

0.58%

1 Year growth

± 0.58%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Iowa grew at a rate of 0.58%, from 1.53M employees to 1.54M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Iowa, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (47,511 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (41,241 people), and Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (36,785 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 (47,511 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (41,241 people), and Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (36,785 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of residents working as Control & valve installers & repairers (6.12 times higher than expected), Biomedical & agricultural engineers (4.2 times), and Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers (3.84 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Iowa, by average salary, are Physicians ($235,882), Dentists ($186,225), and Aircraft pilots & flight engineers ($155,509).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.54M

2018 Value

0.58%

1 Year growth

± 0.58%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Iowa grew at a rate of 0.58%, from 1.53M employees to 1.54M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Iowa, are Elementary & secondary schools (95,929 people), Construction (83,721 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,251 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 (95,929 people), Construction (83,721 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,251 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of Agricultural implement manufacturing (21.1 times higher than expected), Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers (11.2 times), and Agricultural chemical manufacturing (8.03 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Iowa, by average salary, are Drugs, sundries, & chemical & allied products merchant wholesalers ($139,440), Electronic shopping and mail-order houses ($123,034), and Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($117,849).

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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

    $20.9B

  3. Other ag prods.

    $18.7B

In 2015, the top outbound Iowa product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $24.8B, followed by Machinery ($20.9B) and Other ag prods. ($18.7B).

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

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Domestic Trade Growth

$265B

2020 Value

$363B

Projected 2045 Value

36.7% growth

In 2020, total outbound Iowa trade was $265B. This is expected to increase 36.7% 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

    $28.9B

  2. Minnesota

    $17.7B

  3. Nebraska

    $12.5B

In 2015, the top outbound Iowa domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $28.9B, followed by Minnesota with $17.7B and Nebraska and $12.5B.

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 3.16M people, from which 96.6% 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 (85.4%), 191k Hispanic or Latino residents (6.07%), 114k Black or African American Alone residents (3.6%), 79.6k Asian Alone residents (2.52%), 59.2k Two or More Races residents (1.88%), 9.71k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.308%), 4k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.127%), and 2.95k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0933%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Iowa are Spanish (123,829 speakers), Arabic (11,940 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (11,441 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

38

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.8

In 2018, the median age of all people in Iowa was 38.1. 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 younger. In 2017, 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

    47,025 ± 5,284 people

  2. India

    11,319 ± 2,607 people

  3. Vietnam

    8,255 ± 2,228 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 47,025 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,319 and Vietnam with 8,255.

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Citizenship

96.6%

2018 Citizenship

96.8%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 96.6% of Iowa residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Iowa was 96.8%, 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 ± 2.17k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    191k ± 7.51k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    114k ± 4.62k

In 2018, there were 14.1 times more White Alone residents (2.7M people) in Iowa than any other race or ethnicity. There were 191k Hispanic or Latino and 114k 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

    123,829 speakers (4.19%)

  2. Arabic

    11,940 speakers (0.404%)

  3. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    11,441 speakers (0.387%)

8.83% of Iowa citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Iowa was Spanish. 4.19% of the overall population of Iowa are native Spanish speakers. 0.404% speak Arabic and 0.387% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    64,240 ± 2,603

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    29,563 ± 2,701

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    23,696 ± 2,335

Iowa has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.17 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Iowa awarded 67,866 degrees. The student population of Iowa is skewed towards women, with 115,142 male students and 147,079 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Iowa are White (49,352 and 76.7%), followed by Black or African American (4,706 and 7.32%), Hispanic or Latino (4,131 and 6.42%), and Unknown (2,807 and 4.36%).

The largest universities in Iowa by number of degrees awarded are Kaplan University-Davenport Campus (9,624 and 14.2%), Iowa State University (9,044 and 13.3%), and University of Iowa (8,372 and 12.3%).

The most popular majors in Iowa are Liberal Arts & Sciences (6,399 and 9.43%), Registered Nursing (3,237 and 4.77%), and General Business Administration & Management (3,153 and 4.65%).

The median tuition costs in Iowa are $29,185 for private four year colleges, and $7,456 and $21,292 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    1,884 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    1,693 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    1,676 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Iowa was Registered Nursing with 1,884 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

    9,624 degrees awarded

  2. Iowa State University

    9,044 degrees awarded

  3. University of Iowa

    8,372 degrees awarded

$7,456

Median In-State Public

$29,185

Median Private

In 2017, the Iowa institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kaplan University-Davenport Campus with 9,624 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

28,522

Degrees Awarded to Men

39,344

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 28,522 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Iowa, which is 0.725 times less than the 39,344 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

    49,352 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    4,706 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    4,131 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Iowa were to White students. These 49,352 degrees mean that there were 10.5 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 4,706 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Iowa was $152,000 in 2018, which is 0.662 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $149,100 to $152,000, a 1.95% increase. The homeownership rate in Iowa is 71.3%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Iowa have an average commute time of 18.5 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.

Housing

Property Value

$152,000

2018 Median

± $1,552

$149,100

2017 Median

± $1,674

In 2018, the median property value in Iowa grew to to $152,000 from the previous year's value of $149,100.

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 $200k - $250k range.

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Household Income

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

$59,955

Median Household Income

± $877

1.27M

Number of Households

± 15,729

In 2018, the median household income of the 1.27M households in Iowa grew to $59,955 from the previous year's value of $58,570.

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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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

71.3%

2018 Homeownership

71.6%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 71.3% of the housing units in Iowa were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.6%.

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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Commute Time

18.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Iowa have a shorter commute time (18.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.35% 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

    81.6%

  2. Carpooled

    8.12%

  3. Worked At Home

    5.12%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Iowa was Drove Alone (81.6%), followed by those who Carpooled (8.12%) and those who Worked At Home (5.12%).

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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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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