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Which metro areas in Iowa are people moving to?

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3.7 per 1,000 residents), Cedar Rapids, IA (3.0 per 1,000 residents) and Omaha, NE-IA (2.2 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Iowa metro areas in 2025.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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All 9 ranked Iowa metro areas

Iowa metro areas ranked by net domestic migration per 1,000 residents
RankMetro areaPer 1,000 residents, 2025Net movers 2025Residents
1Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA3.7+2,791758,539
2Cedar Rapids, IA3.0+849279,285
3Omaha, NE-IA2.2+2,2581,009,836
4Dubuque, IA1.8+17799,381
5Iowa City, IA−0.7−132182,711
6Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL−1.2−469380,452
7Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA−3.6−612169,189
8Ames, IA−5.0−645128,090
9Sioux City, IA-NE-SD−7.1−1,037145,738

How this is ranked

Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Every metropolitan statistical area (OMB Bulletin 23-01) with a figure is ranked, one-county areas included: such an area's figures are its county's, so its row may link to the county page. Micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.

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Questions

Which metro area in Iowa gains the most people from the rest of the country?

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: 3.7 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Cedar Rapids, IA (3.0 per 1,000 residents) and Omaha, NE-IA (2.2 per 1,000 residents), of 9 Iowa metro areas ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Every metropolitan statistical area (OMB Bulletin 23-01) with a figure is ranked, one-county areas included: such an area's figures are its county's, so its row may link to the county page. Micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.

More metro rankings for Iowa

Metro net domestic migration per 1,000 residents in other states

Across the U.S.