How many immigrants are in Iowa?
Data updated September 19, 2024
About 189K immigrants in 2023. This translates to approximately 5.9% of the population, or roughly 3 in 50 residents in Iowa. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, which includes people who became US citizens, hold work or student visas, or are undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2023
189K
Iowa residents were foreign-born
In 2023
3 in 50
Iowa residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in Iowa grew from 149K in 2013 to 189K in 2023. This increase occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and people moving. Analyzing the foreign-born share of the total population provides a better view of these demographics. In Iowa, the foreign-born share of the population was 5.9% in 2023, lower than the US overall at 14.3%, and up from 4.8% in the state since 2013.
In Iowa, 5.9% of the population was foreign-born in 2023.
Variations in immigrant populations illustrate a changing population landscape in both local areas and the nation as a whole. The largest immigration populations are concentrated in big metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast typically have a higher share of residents that are foreign-born.
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From 2018 to 2022, the metro areas (with data) in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population share were: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.5% foreign-born (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.9% foreign-born (lowest). The highest and lowest among the metro areas in or connected to Iowa were: Sioux City, IA-NE-SD at 10.7% foreign-born (highest) and Dubuque, IA at 3.2% foreign-born (lowest).
On average, 8.3% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born from 2018 to 2022
Foreign-born share of the population
Average foreign-born share of the population from 2018 to 2022
| 1. | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metro Area | 10.7% |
| 2. | Iowa City, IA Metro Area | 10.1% |
| 3. | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area | 8.3% |
| 4. | Ames, IA Metro Area | 7.3% |
| 5. | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area | 5.5% |
| 6. | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro Area | 5.2% |
| 7. | Cedar Rapids, IA Metro Area | 4.3% |
| 8. | Dubuque, IA Metro Area | 3.2% |
