Iowa

State

Add Comparison

2019 Population

3.16M

0.0341% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2019 Median Age

38.5

1.05% 1-year increase

2019 Poverty Rate

11.5%

1.87% 1-year decrease

2019 Median Household Income

$61,691

2.9% 1-year growth

2019 Median Property Value

$158,900

4.54% 1-year growth

2019 Employed Population

1.53M

0.892% 1-year decline

About

In 2019, Iowa had a population of 3.16M people with a median age of 38.5 and a median household income of $61,691. Between 2018 and 2019 the population of Iowa declined from 3.16M to 3.16M, a −0.0341% decrease and its median household income grew from $59,955 to $61,691, a 2.9% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Iowa are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.1%), White (Hispanic) (4.78%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.99%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.4%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.81%). 8.91% of the households in Iowa speak a non-English language at home as their primary language, and 97% of the residents in Iowa are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Iowa are Iowa State University (9,311 degrees awarded in 2019), University of Iowa (9,178 degrees), and Des Moines Area Community College (3,798 degrees).

In 2019, the median property value in Iowa was $158,900, and the homeownership rate was 70.5%. Most people in Iowa drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Iowa was 2 cars per household.

Iowa borders Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Photo by Jason Mrachina

United States

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Iowa, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Start Year

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

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Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Iowa across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Diversity

Iowa is home to a population of 3.16M people, from which 97% are citizens. As of 2019, 11.3% of Iowa residents were born outside of the country (357k people).

In 2019, there were 17.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.68M people) in Iowa than any other race or ethnicity. There were 151k White (Hispanic) and 126k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common foreign languages spoken in Iowa are Spanish (130,407 speakers), German (12,761 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (12,515 speakers).

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Iowa

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.68M ± 2.57k
White (Hispanic)
151k ± 4.89k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
126k ± 4.52k

6.26%

Hispanic Population

197k people

6.26% of the people in Iowa are hispanic (197k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Iowa as a share of the total population.

Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

Spanish
130,407 speakers (4.4%)
German
12,761 speakers (0.43%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
12,515 speakers (0.422%)

8.91% of Iowa citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 22%.

In 2019, the most common non-English language spoken in Iowa was Spanish. 4.4% of the overall population of Iowa are native Spanish speakers. 0.43% speak German and 0.422% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese), the next two most common languages.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

11.3%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

357k people

5.13%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

162k people

As of 2019, 11.3% of Iowa residents (357k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 34%. In 2018, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Iowa was 5.13%, 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.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.8

In 2019, the median age of all people in Iowa was 38.5. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally older than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 38. But people in Iowa are getting getting older. In 2018, the average age of all Iowa residents was 38.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
37,676 ± 4,737 people
India
11,569 ± 2,636 people
China
10,487 ± 2,510 people

In 2019, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 37,676 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,569 and China with 10,487.

Citizenship

97%

2019 Citizenship

96.6%

2018 Citizenship

As of 2019, 97% of Iowa residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2018, the percentage of US citizens in Iowa was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
64,796 ± 2,837
Gulf War (2001-)
34,076 ± 3,282
Gulf War (1990s)
24,494 ± 2,789

Iowa has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.9 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Iowa is $61,691. In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Iowa was Dallas County, IA with a value of $94,885, followed by Polk County, IA and Johnson County, IA, with respective values of $66,918 and $66,011.

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.39 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,359. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.445, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Iowa employs 1.53M people. The largest industries in Iowa are Elementary & secondary schools (99,959 people), Construction (87,262 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,760 people), and the highest paying industries are Wholesale electronic markets & agents & brokers ($112,944), Petroleum & petroleum products merchant wholesalers ($108,314), and Air transportation ($103,166).

Wages

Median Household Income

$61,691

2019 value

± $750

2.9%

1 Year Growth

± 1.85%

Households in Iowa have a median annual income of $61,691, which is less than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $59,955 in 2018, which represents a 2.9% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Iowa compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$64,487

Average Male Salary in Iowa

± $1,860

$46,359

Average Female Salary in Iowa

± $1,231

In 2019, full-time male employees in Iowa made 1.39 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.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Iowa

American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$81,576 ± $28,928
Asian
$53,730 ± $8,494
White
$48,480 ± $1,074

In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Iowa workers was American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races. These workers were paid 1.52 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Iowa.

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

Wage Distribution

0.445

2019 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.44

2018 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2019, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.445 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.26% growth from 2018 to 2019, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Iowa was Dallas County, IA with a value of $94,885, followed by Polk County, IA and Johnson County, IA, with respective values of $66,918 and $66,011.

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

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

11.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Iowa (348k out of 3.04M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.3%. 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.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
275,643 ± 3,413
Hispanic
37,928 ± 1,315
Black
34,517 ± 1,368

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

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.53M

2019 Value

−0.892%

1 Year decline

± −0.892%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Iowa declined at a rate of −0.892%, from 1.54M employees to 1.53M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Iowa, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (46,323 people), Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (40,988 people), and Registered nurses (38,378 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Iowa.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Iowa, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (46,323 people), Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (40,988 people), and Registered nurses (38,378 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of residents working as Food cooking machine operators & tenders (5.68 times higher than expected), Buyers & purchasing agents, farm products (5.23 times), and Dietetic technicians and ophthalmic medical technicians (5.05 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Iowa, by average salary, are Surgeons ($336,193), Physicians ($283,073), and Dentists ($229,202).

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.53M

2019 Value

−0.892%

1 Year decline

± −0.892%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Iowa declined at a rate of −0.892%, from 1.54M employees to 1.53M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Iowa, are Elementary & secondary schools (99,959 people), Construction (87,262 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,760 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.

Most Common

The most common industries in Iowa, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (99,959 people), Construction (87,262 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (79,760 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Iowa has an unusually high number of Agricultural implement manufacturing (19.6 times higher than expected), Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers (11.6 times), and Agricultural chemical manufacturing (9.43 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Iowa, by average salary, are Wholesale electronic markets & agents & brokers ($112,944), Petroleum & petroleum products merchant wholesalers ($108,314), and Air transportation ($103,166).

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

In 2018, the top outbound Iowa product (by dollars) was Cereal grains with $30.3B, followed by Other ag prods. ($20.5B) and Machinery ($19B).

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Iowa.

$262B

2018 Value in Iowa

$426B

Projected 2045 Value in Iowa

62.3% growth

In 2018, total outbound Iowa trade was $262B. This is expected to increase 62.3% to $426B by 2045.

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

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

Illinois
$24.6B
Minnesota
$15.1B
Nebraska
$11.9B

In 2018, the top outbound Iowa domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $24.6B, followed by Minnesota with $15.1B and Nebraska and $11.9B.

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

Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (41.8%), followed by Gary Johnson (3.78%). The most partisan county was Lyon County, IA with 81.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

2016 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (51.2%)
Republican Party
Hillary Rodham Clinton (41.8%)
Democratic Party
Gary Johnson (3.78%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (41.8%), followed by Gary Johnson (3.78%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for Iowa

51.2% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in Iowa

Lyon County, IA
81.4% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Sioux County, IA
81.3% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Osceola County, IA
78.8% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in Iowa was Lyon County, IA with 81.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Iowa colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from Iowa

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2019, universities in Iowa awarded 57,004 degrees. The student population of Iowa is skewed towards women, with 100,350 male students and 118,957 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Iowa are White (42,208 and 79.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (3,342 and 6.27%), Black or African American (2,543 and 4.77%), and Unknown (2,247 and 4.22%).

The largest universities in Iowa by number of degrees awarded are Iowa State University (9,311 and 16.3%), University of Iowa (9,178 and 16.1%), and Des Moines Area Community College (3,798 and 6.66%).

The most popular majors in Iowa are Liberal Arts & Sciences (5,619 and 9.86%), Registered Nursing (2,479 and 4.35%), and General Business Administration & Management (2,316 and 4.06%).

The median tuition costs in Iowa are $31,215 for private four year colleges, and $8,042 and $23,230 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1,263 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
1,227 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
1,216 degree-majorss awarded

In 2018, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Iowa was General Business Administration & Management with 1,263 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Iowa State University
9,311 degrees awarded
University of Iowa
9,178 degrees awarded
Des Moines Area Community College
3,798 degrees awarded

$8,042

Median In-State Public

$31,215

Median Private

In 2019, the Iowa institution with the largest number of graduating students was Iowa State University with 9,311 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

25,677

Degrees Awarded to Men

31,327

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2019, 25,677 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Iowa, which is 0.82 times less than the 31,327 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.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
42,208 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
3,342 degrees awarded
Black or African American
2,543 degrees awarded

In 2019 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions in Iowa was White students. These 42,208 degrees mean that there were 12.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 3,342 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Iowa was $158,900 in 2019, which is 0.661 times smaller than the national average of $240,500. Between 2018 and 2019 the median property value increased from $152,000 to $158,900, a 4.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Iowa is 70.5%, which is higher than the national average of 64.1%. People in Iowa have an average commute time of 18.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Iowa is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$158,900

2019 Median

± $1,544

$152,000

2018 Median

± $1,552

In 2019, the median property value in Iowa grew to to $158,900 from the previous year's value of $152,000.

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.

Household Income

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

$61,691

Median Household Income

± $750

1.29M

Number of Households

± 16,711

In 2019, the median household income of the 1.29M households in Iowa grew to $61,691 from the previous year's value of $59,955.

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.

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.

Rent vs Own

70.5%

2019 Homeownership

71.3%

2018 Homeownership

In 2019, 70.5% of the housing units in Iowa were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.3%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 64.1%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Iowa compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

18.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Iowa have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26 minutes). Additionally, 1.56% 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.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2019

Drove Alone (80.2%)
Carpooled (8.57%)
Worked At Home (5.76%)

In 2019, 80.2% of workers in Iowa drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.57%) and those who worked at home (5.76%).

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.

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.

Health

95% of the population of Iowa has health coverage, with 53.2% on employee plans, 15.6% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.36% on military or VA plans.

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

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1357 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.09% decrease from the previous year (1372 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1452 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 607 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Wayne County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (20.3%). Additionally, Wayne County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (48.6%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,357 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,357 patients per year. This represents a 1.09% decrease from the previous year (1,372 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 its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
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.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

$8,200

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Iowa

$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.

Health Care Coverage

5.01%

Uninsured

53.2%

Employer Coverage

15.6%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

1.36%

Military or VA

Between 2018 and 2019, the percent of uninsured citizens in Iowa grew by 6.17% from 4.72% to 5.01%.

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.