(report from the Iowa Date Center)- Dallas County is among the top ten fastest growing counties in the nation according to new county and metropolitan statistical area population estimates for 2018 from the State Data Center via the U.S. Census Bureau. The county ranked as 8th fastest nationwide, with an increase in population of more than 36 percent, or 90,180 people, since 2010.
After Dallas County, the fastest growing counties in Iowa were Johnson, with a 15.6 percent increase in population, and Polk, adding 56,572 people- the most statewide- and growing 13.1 percent since 2010.
The estimates continue the trend of growth in and around the major cities of the state. “Iowa’s population growth over the last decade has been centered around metropolitan counties,” said Gary Krob, State Data Center Coordinator. “Most of the 30 counties that have seen growth since 2010 are either part of a metropolitan area or are adjacent to one.”
More than half of the state population (52.8 percent) lives in one of 10 counties, all part of a metropolitan statistical area, which include Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Story, Dubuque, Pottawattamie, and Dallas counties.
For metropolitan statistical areas, the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metro Area was the fastest growing in Iowa since 2010 with a growth of 15.1 percent; followed by Iowa City Metro Area at 13.6 percent; and Ames Metro Area at 9.6 percent growth.
Clinton was one of 69 counties in Iowa that have lost population since 2010 and had the highest decline, losing 2,599 people; That was about a 5 percent loss in population.
While Emmett County declined at the fastest rate, losing 10.2 percent of its population. A loss in net migration occurred in 80 Iowa counties, where more people moved out of the county than in.
The new county, metropolitan, and micropolitan population estimates, rankings, and maps are available on the State Data Center website at www.IowaDataCenter.org.
These new estimates from the Census Bureau are based on administrative data for births and deaths and estimates of migration since the 2010 census. Caution is urged in making year-to-year comparisons of population estimates. When the Census Bureau releases new estimates for the current year it also revises estimates for previous years in the decade.
The U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program prepared the latest population estimates in partnership with the Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates. The State Data Center is part of the State Library of Iowa and is a member of the Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates.
