2024 U.S. Census county population estimates

[Al_4_State]

If Norwalk isn’t a suburb of Des Moines, suburbs don’t exist.

 

[Gunnerclone]

If Norwalk isn’t a suburb of Des Moines, suburbs don’t exist.

is wAUkEe a sUBUrB?

 

[cycloneG]

https://www.norwalk.iowa.gov/

"The City of Norwalk is the southern most suburb of the Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Area!"

 

[deadeyededric]

What do you mean by that exactly? I've lived in Dallas, Des Moines, and Chicago. Omaha and Des Moines are pretty similar diversity/culture wise. Neither are anywhere near Dallas or Chicago obviously. Neither are anywhere near Kansas City or Minneapolis for that matter. Omaha is a little larger than Des Moines. That's about it. Pretty much the same otherwise. All are nice places to live.

Des Moines is extremely white. There aren't a lot of people there that aren't from Iowa. While Omaha isn't exactly a melting pot of diversity I've always found it much more diverse than DM. Its much more similar to larger cities than Des Moines. It has a much more vibrant downtown than DM too.

 

[deadeyededric]

Agree. Norwalk is a suburb. Des Moines proper also sneaks into Warren Co a little south of the Zoo. I think. Warren Co. should be counted towards the DSM metro area if it isn't already. Also have Indianola and Carlisle for bedroom towns.

Carlisle is a suburb of Des Moines nowadays. There was a time when them and Carlisle were bedroom towns but I don't know how anyone could not call them suburbs at this point. Indianola, Winterset, Prairie City, Monroe, and even Knoxville and Pella would classify as bedroom communities imo. I remember when Grimes was considered a bedroom community

 

[1SEIACLONE]

Carlisle is a suburb of Des Moines nowadays. There was a time when them and Carlisle were bedroom towns but I don't know how anyone could not call them suburbs at this point. Indianola, Winterset, Prairie City, Monroe, and even Knoxville and Pella would classify as bedroom communities imo. I remember when Grimes was considered a bedroom community

The growth to the Des Moines metro area over the past 30 years has been impressive, I can remember driving up I35 and there was nothing on the West side of the interstate but corn fields, now you have to drive west 10 to 15 minutes on I80 to get outside the metro. Only problem for the state is most of the people are people from Iowa relocated into Des Moines, not new people moving in. That movement has destroyed large rural areas of the state

 

[ISUTex]

Des Moines is extremely white. There aren't a lot of people there that aren't from Iowa. While Omaha isn't exactly a melting pot of diversity I've always found it much more diverse than DM. Its much more similar to larger cities than Des Moines. It has a much more vibrant downtown than DM too.

According to the U.S. 2024 census estimate Omaha is just as white as Des Moines. Also, Des Moines has a higher % (barely) of African American and Hispanics than Omaha. Omaha has a larger overall population. I've been to Omaha many times. It's a slightly larger Des Moines. Lol....

 

[Freebird]

I’m a little surprised Story is that high. Dubuque Co seems a lot more populous just driving through it. I suppose it’s all about how ISU students get counted.

Yeah. Dubuque always seems much bigger than it is. I don’t know if it’s density or what

 

[ISUTex]

Carlisle is a suburb of Des Moines nowadays. There was a time when them and Carlisle were bedroom towns but I don't know how anyone could not call them suburbs at this point. Indianola, Winterset, Prairie City, Monroe, and even Knoxville and Pella would classify as bedroom communities imo. I remember when Grimes was considered a bedroom community

I guess Carlisle could be a suburb. Prairie City is turning into one. Indianola is pretty close to being one but I still consider it a bedroom town.

 

[dmclone]

The growth to the Des Moines metro area over the past 30 years has been impressive, I can remember driving up I35 and there was nothing on the West side of the interstate but corn fields, now you have to drive west 10 to 15 minutes on I80 to get outside the metro. Only problem for the state is most of the people are people from Iowa relocated into Des Moines, not new people moving in. That movement has destroyed large rural areas of the state

I don't think the actual data that I've seen completely supports this theory. It does so more for Dallas county than Polk county.

Polk County
Polk County trends younger, so births vs. deaths. This is pretty small
Migration from out of state vs. instate is around 60/40
Immigration is surprisingly large

Dallas County
birth vs. deaths even higher because of the young populations
Migration from out of state vs. instate is around 30/70
Immigration is low

As far a destroying large rural areas of the state, we're lucky that these people are staying in the state. There are states like Illinois, who are losing that rural population to other states.