(Des Moines)– The 2010 census shows that the migration from rural Iowa into metropolitan areas of the state is continuing.
Iowa’s population rose by 4.1 percent from 2000 to 2010 to just over 3 million people. Census data released Thursday shows much of rural Iowa continues to lose population while metropolitan areas continue to grow, continuing a decades-long trend.
Pocahontas, Sac and Calhoun counties…all in northwest Iowa…saw the greatest losses while Dallas county, which includes parts of suburban Des Moines, saw the most growth at more than 62 percent.
Population in three of the state’s largest cities grew between 2000 and 2010. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport all experienced growth, while Sioux City and Waterloo lost population.
Cedar Rapids saw the highest growth rate at 4.6 percent despite record flooding in 2008.
Dickinson, Sioux and Plymouth were the only counties in northwest Iowa to record population gains in the 2010 report; all others lost population.
(Story from the Associated Press).
