Regional Economics & Community Analysis Program

Urban population percentage, historical

Table ID: POP-6
Unit of measure: Percentage of total population
Vintage: 1900 - 2000 *

* The most recent 5 decades are displayed. All data years are available for download below.

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Area Name1950 (Def2)1960 (Def2)1970 (Def2)1980 (Def2)1990 (Def2)2000 (Def3)
19001Adair CountyNANANANANANA
19003Adams CountyNANANANANANA
19005Allamakee County19.322.825.926.429.027.6
19007Appanoose County38.741.443.542.343.241.3
19009Audubon County24.326.830.333.234.4NA
19011Benton County32.532.933.433.635.429.6
19013Black Hawk County84.084.084.987.287.484.6
19015Boone County43.244.547.148.149.248.2
19017Bremer County27.130.131.734.037.432.8
19019Buchanan County22.224.727.227.928.728.4
19021Buena Vista County32.936.541.542.443.952.1
19023Butler CountyNANANANANANA
19025Calhoun CountyNANANANANANA
19027Carroll County27.032.838.042.344.746.4
19029Cass County35.038.543.046.049.146.3
19031Cedar County15.616.116.316.417.317.1
19033Cerro Gordo County71.673.875.077.679.579.1
19035Cherokee County40.441.542.143.142.737.0
19037Chickasaw County21.823.024.225.527.525.0
19039Clarke County36.540.741.243.550.246.7
19041Clay County41.147.955.759.962.962.9
19043Clayton CountyNANANANANA5.0
19045Clinton County66.566.973.773.673.868.1
19047Crawford County23.126.530.835.339.442.0
19049Dallas County26.126.726.533.541.952.7
19051Davis County27.030.133.131.331.0NA
19053Decatur CountyNANA26.127.6NANA
19055Delaware County22.524.225.126.328.729.0
19057Des Moines County72.878.475.671.271.171.7
19059Dickinson CountyNA21.424.025.426.069.6
19061Dubuque County69.675.173.474.474.974.2
19063Emmet County47.653.357.956.458.159.4
19065Fayette County27.837.938.540.629.729.1
19067Floyd County47.947.246.744.846.244.2
19069Franklin County27.229.133.035.536.435.1
19071Fremont CountyNANANANANANA
19073Greene County27.831.837.240.142.742.5
19075Grundy CountyNANA19.220.0NANA
19077Guthrie CountyNANANANANANA
19079Hamilton County38.742.546.248.049.147.7
19081Hancock CountyNANANA23.625.926.0
19083Hardin County36.039.043.542.444.326.1
19085Harrison County18.120.321.719.019.620.1
19087Henry County31.240.438.738.841.841.3
19089Howard County27.829.934.334.737.437.5
19091Humboldt County24.530.637.339.141.350.2
19093Ida CountyNANANANANANA
19095Iowa CountyNANANANANANA
19097Jackson County23.128.527.228.130.647.0
19099Jasper County36.343.644.142.042.543.7
19101Jefferson County46.550.955.257.859.957.3
19103Johnson County59.562.373.572.677.376.8
19105Jones County35.037.739.842.144.343.8
19107Keokuk CountyNANANANANANA
19109Kossuth County20.622.526.328.732.434.5
19111Lee County72.171.466.662.862.259.3
19113Linn County75.078.782.781.982.983.6
19115Louisa CountyNANANANANANA
19117Lucas County44.146.249.348.450.947.1
19119Lyon County18.019.219.720.921.8NA
19121Madison County27.229.631.631.933.634.6
19123Mahaska County45.146.850.648.149.454.3
19125Marion County46.550.354.755.658.353.2
19127Marshall County55.759.363.864.765.866.5
19129Mills County33.236.735.539.434.639.2
19131Mitchell County24.626.729.130.231.530.9
19133Monona County21.522.826.128.129.327.2
19135Monroe County41.043.844.445.447.744.7
19137Montgomery County41.644.448.650.851.952.5
19139Muscatine County59.262.060.370.971.170.9
19141O'Brien County21.122.625.929.431.530.3
19143Osceola County25.128.332.136.438.739.0
19145Page County50.354.661.461.563.365.4
19147Palo Alto County23.726.431.236.336.936.4
19149Plymouth County25.128.333.533.436.136.4
19151Pocahontas CountyNANANANANANA
19153Polk County88.591.792.992.194.194.1
19155Pottawattamie County67.772.974.571.872.572.9
19157Poweshiek County35.338.244.745.946.848.2
19159Ringgold CountyNANANANANANA
19161Sac County18.119.721.021.2NANA
19163Scott County81.384.888.587.587.685.1
19165Shelby County24.627.532.535.638.938.6
19167Sioux County10.019.935.047.442.245.7
19169Story County60.263.370.875.375.674.8
19171Tama County13.527.014.915.215.527.8
19173Taylor CountyNANANANANANA
19175Union County53.155.960.760.862.060.0
19177Van Buren CountyNANANANANANA
19179Wapello County71.073.470.368.068.670.0
19181Warren County29.033.939.857.160.058.4
19183Washington County30.231.133.332.736.132.9
19185Wayne CountyNANANANANANA
19187Webster County56.859.464.664.064.264.0
19189Winnebago County20.622.428.730.133.633.6
19191Winneshiek County28.029.734.336.538.735.6
19193Woodbury County80.883.484.683.784.783.5
19195Worth CountyNANANANANANA
19197Wright County37.352.043.160.662.242.1

Release Date: February 2003
Source: Urban population by state, historical
Notes:

Sources: 1990 CPH-2-1, Population and Housing Unit Counts for the United States, U.S. Census Bureau (for 1790-1990); SF1 Table P1, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, U.S. Census Bureau, via the State Data Center of Iowa (for 2000).

  1. For all time periods, the rural population percentage may be obtained by subtracting the urban population percentage from 100.
  2. The U.S. Census Bureau has used three definitions of ``urban'' through the years (labeled above as Def1, Def2, and Def3).
  3. The current urban definition (Def3) was implemented with the 2000 Census. Under this definition, urban space includes territory meeting minimum population size and density criteria, without respect to the political boundaries of cities. Urban areas are delineated to include core census block groups or blocks that have a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile and surrounding census blocks that have an overall density of at least 500 people per square mile, together meeting a minimum population threshold of 2,500 residents.
  4. The definition in effect from 1950 through 1990 (Def2) included as urban space any cities, towns, boroughs, villages, and populated places that had 2,500 or more residents. In larger ``urbanized areas,'' which had 50,000 or more residents, densely settled territory adjacent to the central places were also included as urban.
  5. Prior to 1950 (Def1), urban space comprised all territory in incorporated places of 2,500 or more persons, and in other areas classified as urban under special rules relating to population size and density.