United States · state

Iowa population 2026

Q: What is the population of Iowa in 2026?

The latest official figure is 3,238,387, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Iowa would have about 3.2 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Iowa has 3,238,387 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 7,933 more than a year earlier (+0.25%). It is 32nd of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 0.9% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 3.2 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Iowa in numbers

Population: 3.2 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.25% +7,933 people
Change since 2020: +1.48% from 3.2 million
Share of the US: 0.9% 32nd of 50 states and DC
Population density: 22per km² 144,660 km²
Births in the year: 36 thousand deaths: 34 thousand
International migration: +6 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: −970 more people left than moved in

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 2,949, 5,903 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 970 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

That is about as many people as Puerto Rico (3.2 million).

Population of Iowa by year

3.2M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	3,050,819
2011	3,066,772
2012	3,076,844
2013	3,093,935
2014	3,110,643
2015	3,122,541
2016	3,133,210
2017	3,143,734
2018	3,149,900
2019	3,159,596
2020	3,191,081
2021	3,199,037
2022	3,201,890
2023	3,214,739
2024	3,230,454
2025	3,238,387

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	3,238,387	+7,933	+0.25%
2024	3,230,454	+15,715	+0.49%
2023	3,214,739	+12,849	+0.40%
2022	3,201,890	+2,853	+0.09%
2021	3,199,037	+7,956	+0.25%
2020	3,191,081	+31,485	+1.00%
2019	3,159,596	+9,696	+0.31%
2018	3,149,900	+6,166	+0.20%
2017	3,143,734	+10,524	+0.34%
2016	3,133,210	+10,669	+0.34%
2015	3,122,541	+11,898	+0.38%
2014	3,110,643	+16,708	+0.54%
2013	3,093,935	+17,091	+0.56%
2012	3,076,844	+10,072	+0.33%
2011	3,066,772	+15,953	+0.52%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Iowa among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Iowa

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Des Moines214,133
Cedar Rapids130,405
Davenport102,582
Sioux City82,821
Iowa City74,220
Waterloo68,460

Questions

What is the population of Iowa in 2026?

The latest official figure is 3,238,387, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Iowa would have about 3.2 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Iowa’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 7,933 people (+0.25%) in the latest year, and has changed +1.48% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 2,949, 5,903 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 970 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

How does Iowa rank in the US?

Iowa is 32nd of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 0.9% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Iowa?

About 22 people per km², on 144,660 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Iowa?

Des Moines, with about 214 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Iowa population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/iowa/

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