(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch.
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Iowa remains a less diverse state, as two-thirds of its counties lose population

['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- August']

2021-08-12 Iowa remains a less diverse state, as two-thirds of its counties lose population

The U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday that Iowa remains one of the nation’s least diverse states, with more than 84% of its population identifying as white.

Only the states of Wyoming, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have a higher percentage of residents who reported their race as white during the 2020 census. Nationally, the percentage of Americans who identify strictly as white, as opposed to mixed race or another race, is 61.6%.

Of Iowa’s 99 counties, 89 counties have a resident population in which at least 80% of the people reported their race strictly as white. Among the other 11 counties, those with the lowest percentage of white residents are:

Buena Vista County: 60.5%

Crawford County: 68.2%

Marshall County: 73.8%

Woodbury County: 72.5%

Polk County: 75.9%

Nationally, America’s non-Hispanic white population decreased by 2.6% over the past 10 years. The Black or African-American population grew by 5.6%, and the Asian population increased by 35%. Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino rose by 23%.

It’s still unclear how the 2020 census will impact political redistricting in Iowa. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, an Ankeny Republican, said Thursday that “after months of unnecessary delays, the Census Bureau has finally provided the data Iowa needs to redistrict the state. I look forward to following the nationally recognized, non-partisan process established in Iowa Code Chapter 42 to create congressional and legislative districts for the next decade.”

With the new census data in hand, the next step for redistricting in Iowa is the creation of the first draft of a map by Legislative Services Agency, to be completed within 45 days. Following the release of the map, the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Committee will conduct three public hearings and produce a report for consideration by the Iowa House and Senate.

The newly released data shows that in Iowa, the percentage of residents who identify strictly as Black or African-American is 4.1%, far below the national figure of 12.4%. The only county in Iowa where the percentage of residents who are Black or African-American tops 10% is Black Hawk County, at 10.4%.

The percentage of Iowans who identify as Hispanic or Latino stands at 6.8%, compared to the national average of 18.7%. The Iowa counties with the highest percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents are Crawford County at 29.7%, Buena Vista County at 28.5% and Marshall County at 22.8%.

Nationally, 36% of all American adults are non-white, up from 25% in 2010. One likely indicator of future demographic changes: American children are now 47% non-white, a significant increase from the 35% reported in 2010.

Iowa’s occupied residential housing tops national average

The Census Bureau also reported on Thursday the percentage of residential housing that is occupied, which is often cited as an indicator of economic health. Nationally, 90.3% of all residential housing is occupied, compared to 91.2% in Iowa.

The Iowa county that fared worst by that measure is Dickinson County in the northwest corner of the state. Only 58.3% of the housing in Dickinson County is classified as occupied. Other low-ranking counties include Ringgold County at 72.8% occupancy, Allamakee County at 75.6% occupancy, and Guthrie County at 78.5% occupancy.

In terms of overall population, Iowa saw its numbers increase 4.7 percent from 2010 to 2020. Nationally, the population increased 7.4 % over that same period.

Urban counties gain population while rural areas lose residents

In Iowa, as in other parts of the country, the biggest gains in population were in metropolitan areas or counties that represent neighboring bedroom communities for large, urban cities. The Iowa counties that posted the biggest gains in population are:

Dallas County, up 50.7%.

Johnson County, up 16.8%.

Polk County, up 14.3%.

Warren County, up 13.4%.

Story County, up 10%.

Two-thirds of Iowa counties lost population between 2010 and 2020. The Iowa county that sustained the greatest loss in population was, by far, Fremont County. Already one of Iowa’s least populated counties, Fremont saw its population drop 11.2% between 2010 and 2020, according to the bureau.

Nationally, population growth in the United States has slowed to a rate not seen since the 1930s. Overall, 52% of all counties nationwide lost population.

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