Iowa

Home/Iowa Iowa State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 89 11% below the U.S. average Median home value $195,900 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +36.9% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $949 national $1,348 Homeownership 72% national 65% Unemployment 3.0% national 3.6% Household income $73,147 national $78,538 Median age 38.6 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 11% below the national average. The median home is valued at $195,900 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 37% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $949 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.0% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $73,147. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Iowa saw a net loss of 2,508 tax-filing households and a net loss of 1,538 individuals. Against a population of about 3,207,004, that is a net outflow of about 0.5 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area lost $271.1M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 5,280 households, came from Illinois; the largest outflow, about 4,586 households, went to Illinois. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net loss of 5,393 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) $271.1M nominal dollars Net households 2,508 tax returns Net people 1,538 exemptions 0.5 net people per 1,000 residents (population 3,207,004) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$2.1B Moved out$2.4B Net -$271.1M (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com Iowa counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1Illinois5,280$306.6M2Nebraska3,172$182.8M3Minnesota2,324$153.5M4Texas2,099$124M5California1,830$124.1M6Florida1,754$125.8M7Missouri1,665$95.5M8Wisconsin1,458$88.8M9Colorado1,346$90.4M10Arizona1,132$76.9M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1Illinois4,586$246.1M2Nebraska3,156$166.5M3Minnesota2,819$179.7M4Texas2,432$170.5M5Florida2,080$225.1M6Missouri2,029$122.4M7Wisconsin1,768$111.1M8Colorado1,504$100.1M9California1,351$91.4M10Arizona1,308$101.4M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. Illinois 5,280 4,586 +694 +$60.5M Nebraska 3,172 3,156 +16 +$16.3M Minnesota 2,324 2,819 -495 -$26.2M Texas 2,099 2,432 -333 -$46.5M Florida 1,754 2,080 -326 -$99.3M Missouri 1,665 2,029 -364 -$26.9M Wisconsin 1,458 1,768 -310 -$22.3M California 1,830 1,351 +479 +$32.6M Colorado 1,346 1,504 -158 -$9.7M Arizona 1,132 1,308 -176 -$24.5M South Dakota 977 1,280 -303 -$15.8M Kansas 681 775 -94 -$7.9M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: -$3.6B (-30,881 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 -$97.5M -1,025 2013 -$53.1M +664 2014 -$230.7M -2,658 2015 -$238.4M -1,468 2016 -$259.3M -3,108 2017 -$385.7M -4,324 2018 -$455.9M -2,467 2019 -$515.8M -5,355 2020 -$283.7M -3,086 2021 -$258.8M -1,123 2022 -$514.6M -5,393 2023 -$271.1M -1,538 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 1,538 more people left Iowa than moved in (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net loss of about $271.1M in income (nominal) — in a state of 3,214,739 people. Population 3,214,739 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate 0.5 net people per 1,000 residents A Town Of 10,000 Would Net About -5 People. Net income per resident −$84 nominal dollars ≈ -$271.1M total across 3,214,739 residents. The rate lets you compare Iowa with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +36,415 Deaths 32,987 Net domestic migration 3,502 Net international migration +13,275 Total change +12,849 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around Iowa run about 11% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $113 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $62,688 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 10% below the U.S. average Price level 88.8 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 11.2% lower than average What that income buys $70,619 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 1% above the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents66.0 Goods96.6 Utilities87.3 Other services92.3 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of Iowa American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 38.6 years Median household income $73,147 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 7% below the U.S. median College degree 31% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 11.0% residents below the poverty line Average commute 20 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 88% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 83%Hispanic 7%Black 4%Asian 2%Other 4% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $195,900 owner-occupied homes 35% below the U.S. median Median rent $949 gross rent per month 30% below the U.S. median Homeownership 72% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +7.1% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +37% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 11,230new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 66%Multifamily 34% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 3.0% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 1,708,074 1,657,354 employed Disaster declarations 1 major federal, 2023 most common: Flood Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 2.9% May 2026 ▼ 0.4 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into Iowa minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k +213 In 3,292Out 3,079+$926K AGI $10k–$25k 348 In 7,437Out 7,785-$7.2M AGI $25k–$50k 878 In 9,598Out 10,476-$33.8M AGI $50k–$75k 580 In 5,141Out 5,721-$36.5M AGI $75k–$100k 276 In 2,777Out 3,053-$24M AGI $100k–$200k 398 In 3,855Out 4,253-$48.5M AGI $200k+ 262 In 1,410Out 1,672-$122.9M AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), Iowa ranks #33 of 51 states for net household migration (-262). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What Iowa ships and receives Physical goods shipped between Iowa and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $170.0B Ships to other states +21% since 2017 $142.3B Receives from states +39% since 2017 +$27.7B Net balance Top goods shipped out Machinery $26.9B Mixed freight $22.5B Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils $21.3B Animal feed, eggs, honey, and other products of animal origin $16.7B Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and their preparations $15.7B Other chemical products and preparations, not elsewhere classified $15.4B Top goods received Mixed freight $22.6B Machinery $14.9B Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils $12.1B Plastics and rubber $10.6B Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts) $9.9B Other chemical products and preparations, not elsewhere classified $9.9B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Iowa ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Illinois $15.3B $21.3B -$6.0B $36.5B Texas $17.0B $10.4B +$6.7B $27.4B Minnesota $10.8B $14.3B -$3.5B $25.1B Nebraska $8.3B $10.6B -$2.3B $18.9B Wisconsin $7.5B $10.4B -$2.9B $17.9B Missouri $9.4B $7.8B +$1.6B $17.1B California $11.8B $5.1B +$6.7B $16.9B Indiana $5.9B $8.2B -$2.4B $14.1B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Iowa and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What Iowa collects in taxes Total state taxes $13B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $4,028 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) General sales & gross receipts$4.7B 36% Individual income tax$4.6B 36% Corporation net income tax$838.1M 6% Motor vehicle license$775M 6% Motor fuels sales tax$684.5M 5% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How Iowa has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 707,278 927,019 29,209 R +13.1 1,674,011 2020 759,061 902,009 29,801 R +8.5 1,690,871 2016 653,669 800,983 111,379 R +9.4 1,566,031 2012 822,544 730,617 29,019 D +5.8 1,582,180 2008 828,940 682,379 25,501 D +9.5 1,536,820 2004 741,898 751,957 13,053 R +0.7 1,506,908 2000 638,517 634,373 42,673 D +0.3 1,315,563 1996 620,258 492,644 121,173 D +10.3 1,234,075 1992 586,353 504,891 263,363 D +6.0 1,354,607 1988 670,557 545,355 9,702 D +10.2 1,225,614 1984 605,620 703,088 11,097 R +7.4 1,319,805 1980 508,672 676,026 132,963 R +12.7 1,317,661 1976 619,931 632,864 26,508 R +1.0 1,279,303 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2022 Chuck Grassley 533,330 681,501 15,585 R +12.0 2020 Joni Ernst 754,859 864,997 79,063 R +6.5 2016 Chuck Grassley 549,460 926,007 63,884 R +24.4 2014 Joni Ernst 494,370 588,575 45,644 R +8.3 2010 Chuck Grassley 371,686 718,215 25,290 R +31.0 2008 Tom Harkin 941,665 560,006 — D +25.4 2004 Charles E. Grassley 412,365 1,038,175 28,213 R +42.3 2002 Tom Harkin 554,278 447,892 20,204 D +10.4 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 0 R 4 2022 D 0 R 4 2020 D 1 R 3 2018 D 3 R 1 2016 D 1 R 3 2014 D 1 R 3 2012 D 2 R 2 2010 D 3 R 2 2008 D 3 R 2 2006 D 3 R 2 2004 D 1 R 4 2002 D 1 R 4 2000 D 1 R 4 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in Iowa (99) Adair CountyAdams CountyAllamakee CountyAppanoose CountyAudubon CountyBenton CountyBlack Hawk CountyBoone CountyBremer CountyBuchanan CountyBuena Vista CountyButler CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyCass CountyCedar CountyCerro Gordo CountyCherokee CountyChickasaw CountyClarke CountyClay CountyClayton CountyClinton CountyCrawford CountyDallas CountyDavis CountyDecatur CountyDelaware CountyDes Moines CountyDickinson CountyDubuque CountyEmmet CountyFayette CountyFloyd CountyFranklin CountyFremont CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyGuthrie CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHarrison CountyHenry CountyHoward CountyHumboldt CountyIda CountyIowa CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyJones CountyKeokuk CountyKossuth CountyLee CountyLinn CountyLouisa CountyLucas CountyLyon CountyMadison CountyMahaska CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMills CountyMitchell CountyMonona CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMuscatine CountyO'Brien CountyOsceola CountyPage CountyPalo Alto CountyPlymouth CountyPocahontas CountyPolk CountyPottawattamie CountyPoweshiek CountyRinggold CountySac CountyScott CountyShelby CountySioux CountyStory CountyTama CountyTaylor CountyUnion CountyVan Buren CountyWapello CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWinnebago CountyWinneshiek CountyWoodbury CountyWorth CountyWright County Get the next update for Iowa The IRS releases new migration data once a year. 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