What states are people in moving to and from?

Updated May. 13, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, most people moving to Iowa came from Illinois, Texas, and Minnesota. The top states people from Iowa left for were Illinois, Texas, and Minnesota. Overall, about 69,600 people left Iowa for another state. Meanwhile 59,900 moved in from elsewhere in the US. Newcomers from other states accounted for 1.9% of Iowa's population.
Iowa ranked 41 among states in total domestic net migration, with a loss of 9,700 residents.

2 in 90

people living in Iowa the previous year moved to another state in 2024

41st

Iowa's rank in net state-to-state migration (2024)
Along with immigration and natural population change, state-to-state migration is one of the three ways a state's population may shift. In 2024, Iowa had negative net migration with 29 states and Puerto Rico.
Iowa had a net increase of 4,000 residents with Illinois, the highest among all states. The largest net decrease in 2024 was with New Jersey at -2,400.

Iowa had negative net migration with 26 states in 2024.

Net migration between Iowa and other states, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How many people from Iowa moved to another state in the past year?

In 2024, 27.8% of the 69,500 people who left Iowa for another state moved to just three destinations: Illinois (6,700), Nebraska (6,600), and Minnesota (6,000).

In 2024, people leaving Iowa most often moved to Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

People moving from Iowa to another state, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How many people from another state moved to Iowa in the past year?

Of the 60,400 people moving to Iowa from another state between 2023 and 2024, 35.9% came from three states: Illinois (+10,700 residents), Texas (+5,900), and Minnesota (+5,100).

In 2024, newcomers arrived in Iowa most often from Illinois, Texas, and Minnesota.

People moving to Iowa from another state, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How does the share of people who moved from another state vary across Iowa's 99 counties?

From 2020 to 2024, Winnebago County had the highest share of newcomers from other states, averaging 5.4% of its population each year. At the other end, Clarke County recorded the lowest share, with 0.4% of residents moving in from another state.

The share of the population that moved from another state in a given year varies throughout Iowa.

Annual average of share of population 1 year or older who moved from another state in the previous year (2020–2024)

Migration routes between Iowa and other states (2024)

Migration routes between Iowa and other states (2024)
Residence 1 year agoEstimate
1.

Illinois 

10,700
2.

Texas 

5,900
3.

Minnesota 

5,100
4.

Nebraska 

4,800
5.

Wisconsin 

3,700
6.

Missouri 

3,300
7.

Colorado 

2,900
8.

California 

2,500
9.

Kansas 

2,500
10.

South Dakota

2,200

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.