The above graph and this report by Dave Swenson, out of Iowa State, describes Iowa's depressing rural demographic trends. ——K.M.
Key points:
- Two-thirds of Iowa’s counties lost population between 2000 and 2010.
- The national population of adults ages 25 to 44 actually declined slightly over the last decade. The state of Iowa saw this population decline by 8 percent. In "rural" areas, however, this demographic declined 20%.
- Young adults, ages 35 to 44, represent the ages where workers reach their greatest levels of creativity and productivity. They are also stabilizing elements of communities as large fractions of them have settled down, started families, and purchased homes by that time. These young adults are civic, community, and cultural leaders. They are the vibrant core of a healthy community and social structure. And in the case of rural Iowa, those young adults are exercising those virtues elsewhere.
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