Is Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area about to over throw DSM for overall growth this year?

[Omahahonors]

There are big things happening in Council Bluffs that you just don't normally see in a city of 60k, 1000' or even 200k. The city has been very smart to utilize the mammoth to the west to spurn economic growth.

1) A $100-$200 million dollar multi use complex on their side of the pedestrian bridge and adjacent to the huge amphitheater park they built (blocks from the casinos along the bike trails)

2) A $400 million dollar Google expansion

3) Art being constructed all throughout the city

4) A $2 billion dollar reconstruction of the interstate system. I have seen some of the result of the current phase. And I can only say wow!

5) Stronger connection to Omaha infrastructure wise. The pedestrian bridge (bike/walk trail), I80 bridge widening, veteran bridge renewal, new la Platte bridge, soon the connection to I480 and I680 upgrades.

6) historic downtown renovations, conversions. Becoming a nice, hip area. Still has a ways to go to be as hip as benson, dundee or the Blackstone district but all that is holding it back are live music etc.

7) Home construction. The estimates are wrong now like they were in the 2000s. CB is growing and I feel that it is becoming a more urban-like city rather then the standalonish town like community they were before.

8) Retail construction boom was a biggie. It has slowed down, but that multi use development will send another wave of growth.

CB was a sleepy town 15 years ago. But it has become a big player. The future prospects look even bigger given the new wave of high urban development.

[tollfree]

Just like Des Moines, Omaha is without a doubt one of the most impressive metros in the world. Having Council Bluffs right there river only adds to it.

[atler8]

Omahahonors
Thanks for the update you gave last month of things that are happening in Council Bluffs. It sounds like some good and basic infrastructure projects may be fueling private development there.
I think that The Bluffs is generally off of the radar for a lot of Iowa forum members in that some posting activity about it may be going into the Omaha threads.

[steel03]

Originally Posted by CincyIowan

Is CR/IC about to bump DSM out of the fastest growing part of the state this year? Des Moines has been holding this title for years but from what I've seen from the data releases about to come out from the Census Bureau the positions may actually swap. Either way more growth for Iowa, no matter what corner of the state it is, benefits all of Iowa!

Since the estimates have been released now...

CSA Population

Spoiler

1. Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont: 941,165
1. Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines: 768,927
2. Davenport-Moline: 473,984
3. Cedar Rapids-Iowa City: 428,242
4. Sioux City-Vermillion: 182,738

MSA/µSA Population

Spoiler

1. Omaha-Council Bluffs: 904,421
1. Des Moines-West Des Moines: 611,549
2. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island: 383,030
3. Cedar Rapids: 263,885
4. Waterloo-Cedar Falls: 169,993
5. Sioux City: 168,806
6. Iowa City: 164,357
7. Dubuque: 96,370
8. Ames: 94,073
9. Fort Madison-Keokuk: 60,767
10. Mason City: 50,878
11. Clinton: 48,051
12. Burlington: 47,171
13. Ottumwa: 43,993
14. Muscatine: 42,903
15. Marshalltown: 40,866
16. Fort Dodge: 36,955
17. Newton: 36,872
18. Boone: 26,433
19. Oskaloosa: 22,370
20. Storm Lake: 20,578
21. Fairfield: 17,325
22. Spirit Lake: 16,935
23. Spencer: 16,515

MSA/µSA Population Growth (#)

Spoiler

1. Des Moines-West Des Moines: 11,463
2. Omaha-Council Bluffs: 8,848
2. Iowa City: 2,528
3. Cedar Rapids: 1,537
4. Ames: 663
5. Waterloo-Cedar Falls: 514
6. Dubuque: 458
7. Newton: 141
8. Boone: 81
9. Fairfield: 49
10. Spencer: 41
11. Sioux City: 21
12. Storm Lake: -6
13. Spirit Lake: -14
14. Muscatine: -15
15. Oskaloosa: -42
16. Fort Madison-Keokuk: -73
17. Ottumwa: -150
18. Marshalltown: -156
19. Mason City: -168
20. Burlington: -190
21. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island: -200
22. Fort Dodge: -261
23. Clinton: -279

MSA/µSA Population Growth (%)

Spoiler

1. Des Moines-West Des Moines: 1.9%
2. Iowa City: 1.6%
3. Omaha-Council Bluffs: 1.0%
3. Ames: 0.7%
4. Cedar Rapids: 0.6%
5. Dubuque: 0.5%
6. Newton: 0.4%
7. Waterloo-Cedar Falls: 0.3%
=. Boone: 0.3%
=. Fairfield: 0.3%
10. Spencer: 0.2%
11. Sioux City: 0.0%
=. Muscatine: 0.0%
=. Storm Lake: 0.0%
14. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island: -0.1%
=. Fort Madison-Keokuk: -0.1%
=. Spirit Lake: -0.1%
17. Oskaloosa: -0.2%
18. Mason City: -0.3%
=. Ottumwa: -0.3%
20. Burlington: -0.4%
=. Marshalltown: -0.4%
22. Clinton: -0.6%
23. Fort Dodge: -0.7%

I wonder why Decorah isn't a µSA? It has a bigger population than Spirit Lake, and Winneshiek County is bigger than Buena Vista County, Jefferson County, Dickinson County, and Clay County. It's easily the most significant economic center east of Mason City/north of Dubuque.

[capitalcityguy]

^^^^

I guess those stats help answer the OP's question:

1. Des Moines-West Des Moines: 1.9%
2. Iowa City: 1.6%
3. Omaha-Council Bluffs: 1.0%
3. Ames: 0.7%
4. Cedar Rapids: 0.6%