Iowa population moving from the country to the city

Iowa has been experiencing a major population shift, with the majority of its new population growth occurring in four of the state's five biggest cities, according to USA Today.

Populations in Polk County, home to the capital city Des Moines, Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa, and Linn County grew 15, 18 and 10 percent, respectively.

The news source reported that only 33 of Iowa's 99 counties reported growth, and the seven with the most growth were located near large urban areas. Meanwhile, five rural counties in western Iowa lost at least 10 percent of their residents.

Some sociologists predict that small rural towns in the area will continue to vanish as they merge government services with each other.

However, the overall population in the state is growing and many are moving to the major cities, which fared better through the recession than more populous major cities in other states, the source says.

"Economics has been a huge factor. ... Going from a place like Los Angeles or Chicago or New York to a place like Iowa, takes some prompting," sociologist David Cook-Martin, from Grinnell College, told the news source.

Many of Iowa's sectors have improved well from the recession, including the University, whose endowment recently topped $1 billion, according to the Chicago Tribune.
 

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