Sunday, January 5, 2020

Dear Washington Post, You got this headline wrong. Best, Retiring Guy



For the last seven months, she has become intimately acquainted with the rolling landscape of Iowa and Tama counties, a rural area in eastern Iowa that has grown increasingly conservative over the years. The counties were among the 31 in the state that backed Barack Obama before supporting Trump three years ago. There are about 5,900 registered Democrats here, about a quarter of the electorate according to the state voter roll, spread out over some 1,300 square miles. Most voters are registered as “no party.”

What's wrong with this headline?

1.  The 2018 estimated population of Iowa County is 16,141.  It ranks 47th among the state's 99 counties.  In other words, 52 other counties have fewer residents.

2.  Iowa County borders Johnson County to the west.  Johnson County's population of 151,260 ranks 4th among all Iowa County.  Johnson County is home to the University of Iowa, which is located a mere 25 miles from the Iowa county line.

The lightest colored counties on the map below are considered Iowa's most rural.

Map sourceIndex Mundi

3.  On the other hand, there is no Walmart in Iowa County.

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