Wallace's Farmer, IA
07-13-07
Iowa's Suburbs Show Most Growth
Compiled By Staff
Suburbs in Iowa's metropolitan areas continue to account for most of the growth
in Iowa's incorporated places in 2006, according to new population estimates
released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the 40 cities with the largest population
gains since the 2000 census, only Marquette and Spirit Lake are outside
metropolitan areas.
According to Liesl Eathington, director of Iowa State University's Office of
Social and Economic Trend Analysis, or SETA, as a group the cities and
suburbs located in Iowa's 20 metropolitan counties grew by nearly 5.5%, adding
73,000 residents between 2000 and 2006. Unincorporated territory within Iowa's
metropolitan regions gained 8,300 new residents.
Cities located outside of Iowa's metropolitan regions lost more than 20,000
residents for a 2.2% decline. Nearly half of this loss occurred in small cities of
fewer than 2,500 residents. Unincorporated areas in nonmetropolitan Iowa lost
more than 5,400 residents.
Beth Henning, coordinator of the State Data Center program in the State Library
of Iowa, says that more than three out of four Iowans now live in incorporated
places. One-third of Iowa's population lives in cities of 30,000 residents or more;
one in six Iowans live in towns under 2,500.
Swelling suburbs ring Des Moines
The latest estimates show that Ankeny, a Des Moines suburb, had the largest
numeric gain among Iowa cities, adding more than 11,000 residents since the
2000 census. Two other Des Moines suburbs, Urbandale and West Des Moines,
rank second and third, posting gains of 7,907 and 6,804 respectively over six
years. At the same time, three of Iowa's 10 core metropolitan cities - Des Moines,
Sioux City, and Waterloo--have declined in population since the 2000 census.
The fastest growing city in Iowa is Maharishi Vedic City in Jefferson County,
population 222, which has increased its population by 149% since it incorporated
in 2001. Two other cities have more than doubled in size this decade. Waukee in
Polk County has grown by 105% and Panorama Park in Scott County has grown
by 104%. Seven of the 10 fastest growing cities have populations under 2,500.
The Census Bureau's latest estimates show that 277 cities gained population,
634 cities lost population, and 36 did not change between 2000 and 2006. Des
Moines continues to be Iowa's largest city with an estimated population of
193,886; the smallest is LeRoy with an estimated population of 9. Littleport in
Clayton County was dropped from the estimates this year due to its
disincorporation in 2005.
Rural Iowa continues population decline
Populations of Iowa cities from 1850 to 2006 are on the State Library's Data
Center Web site at www.iowadatacenter.org. The latest estimates don't change
Iowa's total population estimate of 2,982,085 residents as of July 1, 2006.
The U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch prepared the latest
population estimates in partnership with the Federal-State Cooperative Program
for Population Estimates. The State Library of Iowa is a member of the
Cooperative Program. ISU's Office of SETA studies Iowa demographic trends in
support of community and regional analysis.
Population estimates for cities are based on the housing unit method.
Comparisons to Census 2000 reflect modifications to the Census 2000
population as documented in the Count Question Resolution program, updates
from the Boundary and Annexation Survey, and geographic program revisions.
Caution is urged in making year-to-year comparisons of population estimates.
When the Census Bureau releases new population estimates for the current
year, it also revises estimates for previous years in the decade.