Fastest-growing counties in Iowa

Written by:
February 23, 2021
Katie Haugland Bowen // Flickr

Fastest-growing counties in Iowa

From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.

But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Iowa using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.

A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.

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en:User:Cburnett // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Jasper County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -79
--- #1,666 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.2%
--- #29 among counties in Iowa, #1,599 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 36,971
--- #17 largest county in Iowa, #1,250 largest county nationwide
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Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Boone County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -54
--- #1,635 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.2%
--- #28 among counties in Iowa, #1,597 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 26,370
--- #23 largest county in Iowa, #1,550 largest county nationwide
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Gvetterick // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Union County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -51
--- #1,631 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.4%
--- #30 among counties in Iowa, #1,641 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 12,358
--- #61 largest county in Iowa, #2,265 largest county nationwide
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Scott Romine // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Wayne County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +25
--- #1,524 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.4%
--- #26 among counties in Iowa, #1,481 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 6,429
--- #94 largest county in Iowa, #2,718 largest county nationwide
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Kevin Schuchmann // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Cedar County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +43
--- #1,498 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.2%
--- #27 among counties in Iowa, #1,517 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 18,457
--- #37 largest county in Iowa, #1,895 largest county nationwide
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Scott A. Miller // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Buena Vista County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +78
--- #1,454 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.4%
--- #25 among counties in Iowa, #1,480 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 20,058
--- #33 largest county in Iowa, #1,826 largest county nationwide
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Joe Elliott // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Crawford County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +83
--- #1,449 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
--- #23 among counties in Iowa, #1,464 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 17,034
--- #44 largest county in Iowa, #1,975 largest county nationwide
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Kevin Schuchmann // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Buchanan County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +92
--- #1,440 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.4%
--- #24 among counties in Iowa, #1,472 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 21,118
--- #29 largest county in Iowa, #1,768 largest county nationwide
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Scott Romine // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Plymouth County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +135
--- #1,392 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
--- #22 among counties in Iowa, #1,454 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 25,068
--- #25 largest county in Iowa, #1,603 largest county nationwide
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Jason McLaren // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Clarke County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +142
--- #1,387 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.5%
--- #19 among counties in Iowa, #1,280 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 9,360
--- #79 largest county in Iowa, #2,475 largest county nationwide
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Scott Romine // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Lyon County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +212
--- #1,329 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.8%
--- #17 among counties in Iowa, #1,231 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 11,776
--- #64 largest county in Iowa, #2,304 largest county nationwide
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Jim Roberts // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Davis County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +233
--- #1,317 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.7%
--- #14 among counties in Iowa, #1,099 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 8,920
--- #83 largest county in Iowa, #2,510 largest county nationwide
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Thug outlaw69 // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Muscatine County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +388
--- #1,214 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.9%
--- #21 among counties in Iowa, #1,389 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 42,889
--- #13 largest county in Iowa, #1,116 largest county nationwide
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TheCatalyst31 // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Dickinson County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +462
--- #1,175 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.8%
--- #13 among counties in Iowa, #1,089 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 17,127
--- #42 largest county in Iowa, #1,968 largest county nationwide
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Farragutful // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Washington County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +474
--- #1,166 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.2%
--- #16 among counties in Iowa, #1,178 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 22,100
--- #28 largest county in Iowa, #1,723 largest county nationwide
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en:User:Cburnett // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Madison County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +524
--- #1,144 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.4%
--- #11 among counties in Iowa, #996 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 16,012
--- #48 largest county in Iowa, #2,038 largest county nationwide
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Jim Roberts // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Bremer County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +679
--- #1,082 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.8%
--- #12 among counties in Iowa, #1,087 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 24,864
--- #26 largest county in Iowa, #1,611 largest county nationwide
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Tony Webster // Wikicommons

#13. Woodbury County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,369
--- #891 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.4%
--- #20 among counties in Iowa, #1,311 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 102,586
--- #6 largest county in Iowa, #589 largest county nationwide
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Josejuan05 // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Sioux County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,450
--- #873 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.3%
--- #10 among counties in Iowa, #870 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 34,827
--- #20 largest county in Iowa, #1,305 largest county nationwide
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Skinzfan23 // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Pottawattamie County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,465
--- #867 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.6%
--- #18 among counties in Iowa, #1,274 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 93,393
--- #9 largest county in Iowa, #629 largest county nationwide
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en:User:Cburnett // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Jefferson County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,505
--- #856 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.0%
--- #6 among counties in Iowa, #462 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 18,148
--- #39 largest county in Iowa, #1,913 largest county nationwide
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David Wilson // Wikimedia

#9. Black Hawk County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +3,141
--- #648 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.4%
--- #15 among counties in Iowa, #1,138 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 132,393
--- #5 largest county in Iowa, #480 largest county nationwide
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FluffyGryphon // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Dubuque County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +4,435
--- #570 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.8%
--- #9 among counties in Iowa, #821 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 96,982
--- #7 largest county in Iowa, #614 largest county nationwide
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Lynn Betts // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Warren County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +4,730
--- #556 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.4%
--- #5 among counties in Iowa, #378 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 50,076
--- #11 largest county in Iowa, #984 largest county nationwide
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Carl Wycoff // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Story County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +9,347
--- #409 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.7%
--- #4 among counties in Iowa, #361 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 96,941
--- #8 largest county in Iowa, #615 largest county nationwide
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formulanone // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Scott County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +10,262
--- #387 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.3%
--- #8 among counties in Iowa, #662 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 172,446
--- #3 largest county in Iowa, #379 largest county nationwide
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Jim Roberts // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Linn County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +16,096
--- #302 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.7%
--- #7 among counties in Iowa, #550 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 223,861
--- #2 largest county in Iowa, #301 largest county nationwide
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Billwhittaker // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Johnson County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +21,583
--- #249 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +17.0%
--- #2 among counties in Iowa, #149 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 148,577
--- #4 largest county in Iowa, #443 largest county nationwide
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Stephen Matthew Milligan // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Dallas County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +25,385
--- #218 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +41.1%
--- #1 among counties in Iowa, #15 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 87,099
--- #10 largest county in Iowa, #662 largest county nationwide
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Katie Haugland Bowen // Flickr

#1. Polk County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +60,311
--- #86 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.4%
--- #3 among counties in Iowa, #210 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 479,612
--- #1 largest county in Iowa, #144 largest county nationwide

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