A report just released from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) takes a deeper look into its 2025 findings that Iowa’s population growth remains mostly concentrated in metro areas. Research and policy director Ben Murrey says there’s just one positive growth marker for non-metro counties.
Murrey says most of the people moving to metro counties fit one profile.
Murrey says the metro areas can offer more job opportunities for younger people. He says the older people moving into the non-metro counties have more resources.
And they have the ability to do that at this point in their career. Murrey says this type of migration to non-metro counties should be something businesses look at.
Murrey says the number of older people moving out of metro counties isn’t enough to boost the population in non-metro areas. And he says the birth trend is not easy to change.
Murrey says the birth trends happen on a decade-long basis. Only three counties grew by more than one percent (1%) in 2025: Dallas County (3.2%), Wayne County (1.6%), and Warren County (1.5%). Nine counties declined by at least 1%, led by Clay County, which dropped nearly two percent. (-1.9%). Kossuth County saw a drop of exactly 1%.
