Iowans Aren’t Having Kids Much Anymore, According To Census

The latest stats show that Iowans are having less kids than in previous years.

Blame it on what you will: the cost of kids, the impossibility of finding a partner now, the unreal economy we live in, the excuses are endless.

Numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau looked at counties around the state that have seen increases or decreases in the number of people under 18, measuring from 2020-2025.

Most of America, including Iowa, are apparently having less kids these days, as the only region with an increase instead of a decrease is the south.

Getty Images

Here's a bit of the stats breakdown by county in Iowa:

• Scott County: -6.3% decrease in population under 18 years old
• Muscatine County: -10.6% decrease in population under 18 years old
• Clinton County: -3.1% decrease in population under 18 years old
• Cedar County: -9.1% decrease in population under 18 years old
• Louisa County: -12% decrease in population under 18 years old
• Johnson County: -1.9% decrease in population under 18 years old

The only Iowa counties with an increase in the population of kids were Wayne, Dallas, and Lucas counties.

The greatest decrease in the kids' population was Osceola County, which was -12%.

The map shows Missouri and South Dakota are the only nearby states having more kids than Iowa.

But- the Census also found that the nation's fertility rates (which have dropped every year since 2007) are high in Iowa. The rate is the number of births per 1,000 females ages 15-44 and only focuses on U.S. counties that have 1,000 females in that age group.

It seems counterintuitive but the Census says that statistic isn't necessarily tied to the population measurement of kids per county.