Le Mars living?
- Thread starter CheapClone1202
- Start date
Yeah most of far NW Iowa seems to be bucking the rural decline trend, I'm sure some of it is proximity to Sioux City/Sioux Falls but I don't think it's the whole story.
Here is the article today from the Register:
Five Iowa schools named 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools (desmoinesregister.com)
All of northern Iowa is in markedly better shape than the rural parts of almost any other state.
Ive driven through large chunks of rural Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas in the last couple years, and all are much worse off.
I think cattle production is big in that part of northwest Iowa. That up to 25 percent of some counties in southern Iowa is in the Conservation Reserve Program -- which was enacted to: (1) stabilize farm land values during the 1980s farm crisis and (2) to take out of row crop production that farm subsidies over the years had encouraged to be brought into production that would not otherwise have been -- subsidizes and encourages row crop production in northern Iowa.
It results in a higher proportion of land in southern Iowa lying fallow at government expense that might otherwise be used for pasture or something else. That also discourages greater economic development and population in that part of the state.
All the subsidies get capitalized into the price of land and discourage alternative uses. The higher land values encourage more confinement agriculture, than would otherwise be the case.
I don't see how all the subsidies don't encourage more intensive row crop production in northern Iowa and greater pollution downstream as a result.
It results in a higher proportion of land in southern Iowa lying fallow at government expense that might otherwise be used for pasture or something else. That also discourages greater economic development and population in that part of the state.
All the subsidies get capitalized into the price of land and discourage alternative uses. The higher land values encourage more confinement agriculture, than would otherwise be the case.
I don't see how all the subsidies don't encourage more intensive row crop production in northern Iowa and greater pollution downstream as a result.
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In NC/NW Iowa where I grew up the really small towns are in pretty bad shape, but we're talking about towns going from 400 to 250 people over the course of 30-40 years. A lot of the town seem to have held population OK, but they are getting pretty old. The town I went to HS in hasn't dropped that much - maybe lost like 70-80 people in population over 20 years, but the class sizes in school have gone from 45-50 down to 30-35. It seems like the towns that haven't already taken a huge hit are just behind the demographic curve a bit.
The one thing that is interesting about Le Mars and some of those far NW Iowa towns is that they are actually getting younger. It looks like some of Le Mars recent increase in population is from what appears to be Latino immigrants, but mostly it looks like younger white people. My guess is there have been and continues to be a lot of people that commute to Sioux City. Despite the influx to urban areas across the state like crazy, SC has more or less been stagnant for about 60-70 years. Le Mars is a little far, but a pretty easy drive if needed I would think. Smaller towns around SC like Seargent Bluff have been growing a lot. So I'd guess while there's movement to the local urban center of SC, it seems to be landing in the smaller towns around it.
In NC/NW Iowa where I grew up the really small towns are in pretty bad shape, but we're talking about towns going from 400 to 250 people over the course of 30-40 years. A lot of the town seem to have held population OK, but they are getting pretty old. The town I went to HS in hasn't dropped that much - maybe lost like 70-80 people in population over 20 years, but the class sizes in school have gone from 45-50 down to 30-35. It seems like the towns that haven't already taken a huge hit are just behind the demographic curve a bit.
The one thing that is interesting about Le Mars and some of those far NW Iowa towns is that they are actually getting younger. It looks like some of Le Mars recent increase in population is from what appears to be Latino immigrants, but mostly it looks like younger white people. My guess is there have been and continues to be a lot of people that commute to Sioux City. Despite the influx to urban areas across the state like crazy, SC has more or less been stagnant for about 60-70 years. Le Mars is a little far, but a pretty easy drive if needed I would think. Smaller towns around SC like Seargent Bluff have been growing a lot. So I'd guess while there's movement to the local urban center of SC, it seems to be landing in the smaller towns around it.
Yeah, the tiniest towns are slipping, but if you haven’t traveled the rural back roads of the rest of America, you would be shocked at how much worse it is.
I grew up in NC IA outside of a town that had 147 people in the 1990 census. I think it was 120 in 2020. There are less run down homes than when I was a kid, but more empty lots getting mowed. There’s a new bar/grill that does well with bicyclists coming through on a rail trail in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.
It’s a decline in population, but actually seems like a better place to live. It will die off someday, but I wouldn’t bet I live to see it.
In Missouri it would be a setting for a horror film.
I've noticed a lot of this extreme rural decline in a lot of places - Michigan's UP, Northern MO, Western NE, Western KS and Eastern CO to name a few. I'm sure the UP is like that due to the major decline in mining, while the others are probably centralization of ag/cattle production.
UP is strange - you'll see mileage signs for lots of towns, then you get there and they are nothing but an abandoned motel and a few dilapidated buildings and houses.
Nevertheless, I think the decline of the really small Iowa towns is going to continue and be pretty complete over the next few decades. I think there will of course be the high concentrations in the main urban centers, with some intermediate sized towns that see some stabilization, if not growth as well. I think any town right now that doesn't have a sustainable HS or at least elementary/MS is probably doomed to be a collection of old people and poor people. Most of the really small towns around where I grew up are going downhill as the old people that were actually keeping the town viable die.
SC by itself is growing a little bit. When u go in a twenty mike radius (including Lemars) there is decent growth - 10%ish.
SC became a SMSA in the 2010 census. Had been ignored for 5-6 decades because it consists of a three state area. Local leaders got that fixed and large retailers flocked to this area in the past ten years.
This seems what’s happening where I grew up. The decline is very slow and very tidy.
I guess I'm not very familiar with the surrounding area, particularly in NE and SD. But it seems that the growth has eluded SC proper, but maybe that can be more around if a city is landlocked, annexing issues, etc. It looks like it's bounced between 80-90k for like 80 years.
I agree. Just the very smallest sometimes struggle with offering the most variety of classes and extra curriculars. But really anything at or above a 1A (in football) this is not an issue for the most part.
But I wanted the people that think every town outside the major metro area are the same to realize there is quite a difference between towns and schools in the A to 3A range, and some in all those ranges are better than others.
And saying a town less than 100K has nothing to do, just means it has nothing to do for you. Some people find small towns have more to do than large cities. It just depends on the activities and community you are looking for.
There is definitely a benefit to being close to a major Metro area, but there is still a benefit to being in a small community too. A lot of things still depend on what people are used to, what they prefer, and what they want.
Yes, Sioux City proper is landlocked by Sergeant bluff, the the Missouri River and to the north by 4-5th generation land owners that won't sell. The city has been landlocked and river locked for 50 years. Everything around it is growing, including Lemars.
Des Moines economy is heavy insurance, government and now tech. Sioux City WAS meat packing. Des Moines businesses grew. Sioux City's meat packers packed up and left for greener pastures. Sioux City still has lots of food related businesses but the big meat packers slowly left one after the other over the last 50 years.
It's funny how Iowans always claim Iowa is the best place to live yet they consider every city/town that they don't live in to be a dump.
Le Mars is a dump
Council Bluffs is a dump
Sioux City is a dump
Storm Lake is a dump
The entire southeast quadrant of the state is a dump
The entire southern tier of Iowa counties are a dump
I'm sure I'm missing a few.
Le Mars is a dump
Council Bluffs is a dump
Sioux City is a dump
Storm Lake is a dump
The entire southeast quadrant of the state is a dump
The entire southern tier of Iowa counties are a dump
I'm sure I'm missing a few.
I have relatives that live there. Some work in town, some work in Sioux City, some work in Orange City.
The real question is, what kind of life and work are you hoping for? You could look for work in the area, remote work or what ever but the real question is what kind of life do you want? If you want to go clubbing every night, move to Miami. If you want to spend money at a new restaurant every night, maybe Omaha is a better fit. My relatives go out from time to time, visit friends from time to time, golf, go to their kids events and LEAVE THEIR DOOR UNLOCKED. That sometimes freaks me out.
They say the town is safe, and even if someone did break in, what are they going to steal, an old TV? A 5 year old laptop? I'm thinking of moving back someday when I'm ready. If you're the right fit, I hope to see you there. If not, maybe I'll see you at the airport in Omaha.
The real question is, what kind of life and work are you hoping for? You could look for work in the area, remote work or what ever but the real question is what kind of life do you want? If you want to go clubbing every night, move to Miami. If you want to spend money at a new restaurant every night, maybe Omaha is a better fit. My relatives go out from time to time, visit friends from time to time, golf, go to their kids events and LEAVE THEIR DOOR UNLOCKED. That sometimes freaks me out.
They say the town is safe, and even if someone did break in, what are they going to steal, an old TV? A 5 year old laptop? I'm thinking of moving back someday when I'm ready. If you're the right fit, I hope to see you there. If not, maybe I'll see you at the airport in Omaha.
