Sioux County Iowa - Population Growth
- Thread starter BillyClone
- Start date
When people analyze the population decline of rural Iowa, they never address this:
When this area was settled, a certain amount of farms were necessary. Due to no birth control, people had massive families. Within a couple generations there were simply more people than could be supported and they had to leave.
The population of the rural areas 50 years ago had no chance of ever being sustainable or realistic.
When this area was settled, a certain amount of farms were necessary. Due to no birth control, people had massive families. Within a couple generations there were simply more people than could be supported and they had to leave.
The population of the rural areas 50 years ago had no chance of ever being sustainable or realistic.
Even the little towns in Sioux County have some industry. The county is an importer of grain & feed due to all the livestock. It's also exports a crapload of, er, crap in the form of manure.
Sioux Center is 56 miles from Sioux Falls. Still commutable but better if you are in the north of the county. Sioux Center has Dordt. Orange City has Northwestern. Each is different type of Christian Reform faith. That leads them to compete with 1 another, I believe, but if wrong someone please correct me.
Would seriously doubt any other rural area in Iowa has more people stay in the area & not move away. All communities try pretty hard to be progressive. Newer golf course & development in Sioux Center, large & newer medical facility in Orange City as well as Pizza Ranch HQ, Rock Valley has share of industry, Boyden has big cheese facility, & more. Still, they're Dutch
Sioux Center is 56 miles from Sioux Falls. Still commutable but better if you are in the north of the county. Sioux Center has Dordt. Orange City has Northwestern. Each is different type of Christian Reform faith. That leads them to compete with 1 another, I believe, but if wrong someone please correct me.
Would seriously doubt any other rural area in Iowa has more people stay in the area & not move away. All communities try pretty hard to be progressive. Newer golf course & development in Sioux Center, large & newer medical facility in Orange City as well as Pizza Ranch HQ, Rock Valley has share of industry, Boyden has big cheese facility, & more. Still, they're Dutch
Last edited:
A boat load of livestock operations, chores don't get done by themselves. That also brings in supporting businesses that the livestock producers need. (Vet, HVAC,waste disposal etc...)
It is a regional medical center, has quite a few businesses, seems pretty successful while visiting do not live there.
Even the little towns in Sioux County have some industry. The county is an importer of grain & fees due to all the LS. It's also exports a crapload of, er, crap in the form of manure.
Sioux Center is 56 miles from Sioux Falls. Still commutable but better if you are in the north of the county. Sioux Center has Dordt. Orange City has Northwestern. Each is different type of Christian Reform faith. That leads them to compete with 1 another, I believe, but if wrong someone please correct me.
Would seriously doubt any other rural area in Iowa has more people stay in the area & not move away. All communities try pretty hard to be progressive. Newer golf course & development in Sioux Center, large & newer medical facility in Orange City as well as Pizza Ranch HQ, Rock Valley has share of industry, Boyden has big cheese facility, & more. Still, they're Dutch
All true, except the cheese factory is in Hull. And yes, Dordt and Northwestern are from different branches of the Reformed Church, but they are more similar than different. Another testament to growth is that the public schools in Rock Valley, Sioux Center, and Orange City have all added on in the last 2 years, and may do more in the near future. The Christian schools have also added on. The town of Hull, a town of 2,000, is home to 3 high schools..Boyden-Hull Community School, Western Christian, and Trinity Christian.
Both Sioux Center and Orange City have managed to reach a critical mass of community involvement/investment. The colleges create markets for services and shops that would not be able to make it in many small towns, like a 6 screen movie theater, a cross fit studio and gym, and several active coffee shops. Many of the industries based in those towns, like Diamond Vogel, Sioux Automation, and Pizza Ranch, have been in business for many decades and have grown a lot over time which has attracted others like TransOVA and Pella Windows.
I lived in OC and worked in Sioux Center right out of college. When we go back I'm amazed at how consistently they've grown in the past 20 years.
I lived in OC and worked in Sioux Center right out of college. When we go back I'm amazed at how consistently they've grown in the past 20 years.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/13/where-the-small-town-american-dream-lives-on?
Edited to add:
Hope to keep this non-political although I realize there is political commentary and undertones to this article. Just thought it was timely with this thread coming up a while ago and might help explain what the OP was noticing.
Edited to add:
Hope to keep this non-political although I realize there is political commentary and undertones to this article. Just thought it was timely with this thread coming up a while ago and might help explain what the OP was noticing.
Last edited:
Sioux Falls is one of the best cities in the Midwest, IMO. Good quality of life and they've had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country for - well, over a decade.
I didn't get to the political part of the article because I stopped after the "slow road" to Sioux City statement. It's a four lane highway! Why do people thick we are hicks? Because they read crap like this which isn't any where close to accurate. Someone in New York reads that and thinks about some twisty two lane road. And Sioux Falls also has access to those flying thingys with wings also.
Jumping off my soapbox now.
There's only two things I hate in this world: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch.
Most of that comes out of the multiplier effect of the credit card industry and somewhat by,isolation. Wholesome community appeal made possibly by vampires.
Larissa MacFarquhar is an excellent, and thorough, writer. The "slow road" to Sioux City to me was metaphorical not an indication of hickdom. There was implied praise of the area's culture. Explanations of why things are that way and indications OC's isolation will remain but fracture over time.
I grew up in an Iowa town that was 100% German Catholic (German was spoken frequently but lessened into the 1970's). Too small to fortify a business culture, my town saw stagnation, and with a few recent exceptions, has faded into a bedroom community. We shared the same Conservative values and ethics as OC.
Thinking of the article, Spring Grove MN in SE Minnesota has similar attributes as OC but Norweigian rather than Dutch.. Very busy, clean, neat and pleasant as well. It too is off the beaten trail but may be too small to stay that way over time.
I relocated to Sioux County about 4 1/2 years ago to run the largest egg laying farm in the area. There really are two distinct areas of Sioux County, the Dutch east side and the west side of the county. I live in Hawarden which is on the far west side of the county and sit on the school board for West Sioux. There is a tremendous pride in each community in the area for supporting and fostering local businesses and schools. Each town seems to have industry and business that keep them afloat and the towns really rally behind these businesses.
To respond to an earlier post, cost of living in Sioux County is not cheap. Home values in most towns are very high when compared to other counties nearby. There is also a very strong private school culture in the county associated with the Dutch Reformed church. Towns of <500 often have a private elementary in the community. The major private high schools are Western Christian and Unity Christian, but there is a very strong public school system in the area as well.
It is a very friendly and diverse area to live. Also the convenience to both Sioux Falls and Sioux City is very helpful for industry and commuters.
To respond to an earlier post, cost of living in Sioux County is not cheap. Home values in most towns are very high when compared to other counties nearby. There is also a very strong private school culture in the county associated with the Dutch Reformed church. Towns of <500 often have a private elementary in the community. The major private high schools are Western Christian and Unity Christian, but there is a very strong public school system in the area as well.
It is a very friendly and diverse area to live. Also the convenience to both Sioux Falls and Sioux City is very helpful for industry and commuters.
Lolz, how many Catholic churches in OC & Sioux Center? How many people of color? If by diverse you mean Dutch Reformed and some Lutherans then sure, I guess...
