U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 population projections: Iowa's smallest county continues to lose residents

 

95.5% white Adams County's population has decreased 73% since its 1900 peak of 13,601.

Sources:  Wikipedia (1860-2020), U.S. Census Bureau (2022)

Iowa State University

In 1900, Iowa’s rural population was just shy of 1.7 million, with almost three-fourths residing on farms or in small towns. However, with the exception of the 1990s, Iowa’s rural population has declined in every census over the last 110 years, as shown in Figure 1. By 2010, only 36% of Iowans remained in rural areas. 

Numerous policies have been proposed to stem the decline of Iowa’s rural population. Over the past decade, these have included fostering rural entrepreneurship, promoting rural manufacturing, beautifying town centers, and expanding rural broadband. While any of these might have some positive impacts, it is difficult to believe that they will reverse the century-long rural-to-urban population shift.