Des Moines Register
03/16/06
Dallas County’s rapid growth rolls on
JANE NORMAN AND JULI PROBASCO-SOWERS
REGISTER STAFF WRITERS
Dallas County continues its reign as one of the nation's fastest-growing counties
as the U.S. Census Bureau issues its annual list today of the hot spots for
population gain.
Between 2004 and 2005, the once-bucolic county west of Des Moines ranked
No. 52 in the nation in terms of percentage growth, with a 4.7 percent increase.
Census estimates placed the county's population at 51,762 in 2005, up about
2,300 residents from the previous year.
Statewide, trends continued that show counties near interstates and within
commuting distance of metropolitan areas such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids
and Iowa City gaining residents. Counties far from at least a mid-sized city
lagged, with many of them losing population.
"If you can access the higher wages in the city, and the lower housing prices in
the smaller communities, then people try to do that," said Peter Orazem,
professor of economics at Iowa State University. Generally, a commute of an
hour or less each way is viewed as acceptable, he said.
Growth in Dallas County was somewhat slower than from 2003 to 2004, when a
housing explosion fueled a 6.6 percent growth rate and landed the county as No.
10 on the national list.
But the new figures show that the exurb continues to attract a flood of new
residents. The county was the only one in Iowa to place among the nation's top
100 fastest-growing counties and one of relatively few in the Midwest.
"We know all the activity going on, and we know it is not slowing down," said
Linda Schaut, director of the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance.
From 2000 to 2005 Dallas County saw a 27 percent increase in the number of
residents, adding more than 11,000 people.
That ranked the county No. 38 in the nation for that period, and the only Iowa
county on the list of the top 100 fastest-growing counties over a five-year span.
Jordan Creek mall and new jobs at Wells Fargo are expected to help continue
that momentum, as are a slew of housing developments. For example,
Woodward could see a 250-home development aimed at young families. In
Waukee, 464 building permits were issued in 2005.
Dallas County is positioning itself for growth through long-range planning, Schaut
said. That includes planning related to infrastructure and land use.
"Our schools are looking at growth and projecting who needs the new buildings,
adding new facilities," Schaut said.
Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson, who serves as the board of supervisors'
chairman, said he believes growth may be leveling out a bit.
"We are still going to see growth, but when you look at the general size of the
Des Moines market, and the number of jobs created, I can't anticipate we are
going to see growth at the clip we have been seeing," Hanson said.
Although he said he expects growth to continue between Waukee and Adel, he
said he believes potential property buyers looking farther west in Dallas County
will be looking for acreages rather than subdivisions.
The nation's fastest-growing county from 2004 to 2005 was Flagler County,
Florida. Most of the counties ahead of Dallas County are in Virginia, the
Carolinas and the Southwest.
In Waukee, the biggest city in Dallas County, officials believe growth will continue
at a rapid pace. "If growth has slowed, I don't see any sign of it," said Jody
Gunderson, Waukee's community development director.
While a slight dip in new housing starts in 2004 might have been viewed by some
as a slowdown, in reality it was developers getting lots ready to be sold,
Gunderson said. In 2005 those numbers jumped again, and the first couple of
months of this year look stronger than last year, he said.
Polk County also continued to grow, though at a less-frantic pace, according to
census estimates. The county as of mid-2005 had slightly more than 401,000
residents, compared with about 374,000 in 2000 for a population increase of
about 7 percent.
In the last few years, Waukee officials have teamed with neighboring suburbs to
provide services at a lower cost.
"We just finished a joint project with West Des Moines and Clive for a water
tower," Gunderson said.
Among the other sharing in the county operations, housing inspectors for
Waukee inspect buildings in De Soto.
Murray McConnell, planning director for Dallas County, said he has seen no
signs of growth slowing. Housing permits in the rural, unincorporated parts of the
county have averaged about 350 a year for the past several years, he said.
Continued growth demands planning and smart thinking, Gunderson said.
"I never look at growth of a city as a bad thing," he said. "We've used the census
projections as a gauge for our growth, and we've always exceeded those
projections."