Iowa 50,000 Club (Des Moines, Sioux City, Waterloo: houses, suburb, best)

[JMsioux]

Urbandale, Ankeny and Marion will almost certainly join the 50,000 population club in the future with Ankeny being the first of the three. After that, who is the next big up and comer? Waukee has a way to go as does Coralville. The other cities in the same population range as the three mentioned above, Ft. Dodge, Ottumwa, Mason City, etc. are stagnant at best and are likely losting population from census to census. So, again, who is the next to 50,000? Maybe Waukee leapfrogs Urbandal or Marion?

[iowegian]

After the three you listed...I think Cedar Falls would probably be next. It's a long way off, but as you said, the other cities in the 30s and 40s just aren't growing.

[DMRyan]

I think you're right on. I don't see Waukee leaping over Urbandale anytime soon. While they're growing faster, Urbandale is still growing at a very good clip with no signs of stopping. Fort Dodge, Muscatine, Clinton, Marshalltown, Mason City, etc. are all going nowhere fast, if not shrinking. IMO, some of the worst cities in Iowa are in this population range. Too small to offer the pull of bigger cities, but big enough to be going through some of the larger city urban issues without the means to cover them.

The NW DSM suburb of Johnston is one to watch in the next 10-15 years too.

[Chicago60614]

Hmm. I'd say Ankeny is the only one with a strong chance. Since the 2010 census isn't out yet, I suppose you could easily put West Des Moines at the top of that list. That city could easily surpass Dubuque, Waterloo and Iowa City if it keeps grabbing all that suburban Des Moines growth.

West Des Moines:
1990: 31,702
2000: 46,403
2008: 55,426

Ankeny:
1990: 18,482
2000: 27,117
2008: 42,287

Marion:
1990: 23,227
2000: 26,294
2008: 32,821

Cedar Falls:
1990: 34,298
2000: 36,145
2008: 38,059

Waukee:
1990: 2,512
2000: 5,126
2010: 12,387

Urbandale
1990: 23,500
2000: 29,072
2010: 38,369

Coralville:
1990: 10,347
2000: 15,123
2008: 18,478

North Liberty:
1990: 2,926
2000: 5,367
2008: 11,561

I'd say Ankney is the only big one to keep your eye on. Even places like Marion are still quite a ways off, as well as Urbandale. Nothing else is really close or growing fast enough.

[mustang84]

Ankeny, Urbandale, and Marion in that order. Ankeny and Urbandale are growing much faster than Marion. Cedar Falls is a little bigger than Marion, but it isn't growing as fast, so I see it coming in 4th place.

[JMsioux]

I left WDM bacause the '10 census will surely show that it has eclipsed the 50K mark and I completely missed Cedar Falls somehow, as well as Bettendorf which weighed in at about 32500 at the 2000 census.

[SharpHawkeye]

Yeah, how about Bettendorf? Any QC posters have thoughts on it joining the 50k club?

[Dport7674]

Bettendorf is throwing houses up left and right...I imagine it'll make it to 50k before to long

[Chicago60614]

Bettendorf:

1990: 28,132
2000: 31,275
2008: 32,445

I'm actually surprised it's not growing faster. It looks like it is driving through.

[JMsioux]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Bettendorf:

1990: 28,132
2000: 31,275
2008: 32,445

I'm actually surprised it's not growing faster. It looks like it is driving through.

Sioux City has had a good number of houses built recently, too, but its population is either stagnant or shrinking. Regarding Bett, I thought it was growing faster, too.