The last official population numbers for Iowa were taken during the most recent nationwide census of 2010 when it was declared that 3,046,355 people lived in the state. That represented a modest rise of 4.1% compared to the 2,926,324 people recorded in the census taken in 2000. It's estimated by the Census Bureau that the population of Iowa in 2015 was 3,123,899. The growth rate between the 2010 Census and 2015 estimates is 2.55%, which ranks 29th in the nation.
The 2010 Census marked a milestone for Iowa, as it crossed the 3 million mark. This makes Iowa the 30th most populous state in the US.
Situated in the midwest United States and often referred to as the "heartland of America," Iowa is situated in the middle of the country, both in terms of location and population.
Large areas of Iowa are flat and used as farmland and as such, the population density is relatively sparse. Overall, there is a surface area of 56,272 square miles (or 145,743 square kilometers) and this is the 26th largest state in the country in terms of land mass.
With regards to the exact density, average figures show that there are 54.5 people for every square mile. The population center is located in Marshall County in the city of Marshalltown. Iowa now has a predominantly urban population concentrated in these areas, with 61% of the total population living in urban areas by 2000. From 2000 to 2008, urban counties grew 8.5%, while rural counties declined by 4.2%. This trend is expected to continue.
The most populous city in Iowa is Des Moines, with over 210,000 residents, followed by Cedar Rapids (130,405) and Davenport (102,582).The largest county in Iowa by population is Polk County, with over 480,000 individuals counted in the population.
The median age in Iowa is 38 years of age. The gender ratio is approximately 50.3% female and 49.7% male.
In religious terms, Iowa shows its general preferences with 77% Christian based faith, 1% non-Christian based faiths, and 21% of the population identifying as non-affiliated with any religion.
Iowa was acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and formed part of Louisiana Territory, renamed Missouri Territory in 1812. Iowa became a territory in 1838 and included present-day Minnesota and the Dakotas from the Mississippi River west to the Missouri River. Iowa was admitted as a State on December 28, 1846 with substantially its present boundaries.
Census coverage began in 1840, when it was limited to eastern Iowa, except for two settlements in present-day Minnesota that were included in Clayton County. The northwestern part of the State was not fully covered in the census until 1860.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Iowa was:
[When breaking down Iowa's population,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa#Population) 72.2% were born in the state, 23.2% were born in a different state, 0.5% were born in Puerto Rico or abroad to American parents and 4.1% were foreign born. Iowans are primarily of Western European descent, with the largest ancestry groups including German (35.7%), Irish (13.5%), English (9.5%), American (6.6%) and Norwegian (5.7%).
Iowa has been considered one of the least diverse states, with a population that is mostly white. Iowa is one of ten states that have a white population that exceeds 90%. The state has, however, seen a significant increase in its population of Hispanics. Between 2000 and 2014, the Hispanic population increased by over 110%, and future growth is expected to continue so that the state will approach close to half a million Hispanic residents by 2050.
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250K
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500K
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 2,769,619 | 86.85% |
Two or more races | 150,396 | 4.72% |
Black or African American | 120,619 | 3.78% |
Asian | 78,940 | 2.48% |
Other race | 54,569 | 1.71% |
Native American | 10,111 | 0.32% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 4,582 | 0.14% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 1,290,140 | 2.4 | 71.5 | 28.5 |
Married | 630,424 | 3.04 | 88.7 | 11.3 |
Non Family | 486,863 | 1.26 | 54 | 46 |
Female | 117,403 | 3.24 | 54 | 46 |
Male | 55,449 | 3.21 | 66.7 | 33.3 |
3
Average Family Size
2.4
Average Household Size
71.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 90,887 | 4.26% |
Associates Degree | 255,181 | 11.97% |
Bachelors Degree | 433,380 | 20.34% |
Graduate Degree | 211,949 | 9.95% |
High School Graduate | 652,792 | 30.63% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 57,758 | 2.71% |
Some College | 429,255 | 20.14% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 1,867,110 | 1,775,920 | 579,740 |
Hispanic | 100,520 | 67,899 | 15,672 |
Black | 66,117 | 55,688 | 12,063 |
2+ Races | 63,947 | 53,909 | 16,752 |
Asian | 49,588 | 39,658 | 23,465 |
Other Race | 30,371 | 19,042 | 4,833 |
Native American | 5,978 | 4,854 | 830 |
Islander | 2,329 | 1,753 | 282 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.12%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 47.32%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $59,313 | $72,056 | $50,904 |
Graduate Degree | $76,582 | $89,814 | $69,417 |
High School Graduate | $38,538 | $46,115 | $28,917 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $34,302 | $39,749 | $26,092 |
Overall | $47,358 | $55,575 | $39,828 |
Some College | $44,484 | $54,495 | $36,045 |
$47,358
Average Earnings
$55,575
Average Male
$39,828
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
91.26% of Iowa residents speak only English, while 8.74% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.28% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 2,592,050 | 243,253 | 9.38% |
Hispanic | 203,314 | 35,429 | 17.43% |
Black | 112,260 | 34,288 | 30.54% |
Multiple | 145,884 | 25,655 | 17.59% |
Asian | 76,912 | 10,470 | 13.61% |
Other | 53,315 | 8,849 | 16.6% |
Native | 9,515 | 2,627 | 27.61% |
Islander | 4,541 | 1,501 | 33.05% |
11.11%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.97%
Male Poverty Rate
12.25%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Iowa is Islander, with 33.05% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Iowa is White, with 9.38% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.14%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.11%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.97%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 21.3% |
High School | 11.48% |
Some College | 8.12% |
Bachelors or Greater | 3.75% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 35.68% |
Male Unemployed | 29.58% |
Female Employed | 7.46% |
Male Employed | 4.73% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $90,921 | $111,983 |
Households | $70,571 | $92,053 |
Married Families | $103,944 | $126,141 |
Non Families | $41,684 | $55,288 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
51.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.7%
Male Marriage Rate
50.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
171,836
Number of Veterans
158,856
Male Veterans
12,980
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 62,373 |
First Gulf War | 32,953 |
Second Gulf War | 31,987 |
Korea | 12,298 |
World War II | 3,908 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 47,023 |
75+ | 45,665 |
35 to 54 | 37,781 |
55 to 64 | 28,439 |
18 to 34 | 12,928 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 161,621 | 7.41% |
2+ Races | 3,945 | 4.67% |
Black | 3,922 | 4.8% |
Hispanic | 3,801 | 2.93% |
Other Race | 917 | 2.43% |
Asian | 708 | 1.15% |
Native American | 629 | 8.6% |
Islander | 94 | 3.15% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.18%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.7%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
66.6%
Labor Force Participation
64%
Employment Rate
3.8%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
70.01%
Born in Iowa
94.4%
Native Born
5.6%
Foreign Born
3.14%
Non Citizen
2.46%
Naturalized
94.4% of Iowa residents were born in the United States, with 70.01% having been born in Iowa. 3.14% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.