DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Des Moines suburb of Ankeny is the only large Midwestern city to rank among the fastest-growing cities in the nation.
New U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday show that Ankeny’s population jumped 28.6 percent between 2010 and 2016 to reach 58,627. Among U.S. cities with at least 50,000 residents, Ankeny’s growth ranked 14th nationwide.
The fastest-growing communities in the state are all generally near either Des Moines or Iowa City.
Even with the growth in Iowa’s major cities, half of the state’s residents still live in cities with fewer than 10,000 people.
The latest numbers fit with previous reports showing a steady decline in Iowa’s rural population, said Gary Krob, coordinator of the State Data Center at the State Library of Iowa.
Tiffin, which is between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, grew 54.4 percent to be the fastest-growing community in the state. It has 3,006 residents. North Liberty grew 38 percent to reach 18,520.
In the Des Moines area, Bondurant grew 50 percent to 5,796, Grimes grew 44 percent to 11,909 and Waukee grew 40 percent to 19,284.
Krob said 243 Iowa cities have gained population since 2010 while 652 cities lost residents. Another 49 cities recorded no change.
Iowa’s total population increased 2.9 percent to 3.1 million between 2010 and 2016.
The state’s largest city, Des Moines, grew 5.9 percent to 215,472. Other highlights of the state’s bigger cities include:
- Cedar Rapids grew 3.8 percent to 131,127.
- Davenport increased by 2.9 percent to reach 102,612.
- Council Bluffs grew 0.5 percent to 62,524.
- In northwest Iowa, Sioux City posted modest growth of 0.2 percent to reach 82,872.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.