Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-09-13
iowa HAS LOST
NO POPULATION
As to Sex the Males of Iowa Number
1,212,9S and the Females
1,145,O7S.
DEATHS $4,000 YEARLY
BIRTHS 1880 YEARLY
The Voting Population of Iowa, OF
Those Entitled to Vote if They
Choose Numbers 684,939.

The speech makers and the writers
who have been declaiming about the
loss of population in Iowa will have
to revise their statements after the
facts become known as to Iowa prog
ress as disclosed by the Iowa census
Of 1915. Pessimism based on the sup
position that at some period in Iowa
history there was a pronounced de-
cline in the total population of the
state is shown to have mighty small
The conclusion is inevitable from
a bare statement CT the facts regard
ing Iowa population, as found in the
latest enumeration, and from even a
hasty analysis of the same with COM
parisons, that at no period in Iowa
history, either a decade of a five-year
period has there been any loss of ag-
gregate population. There has been
a shifting of population at one time
or another and a steady drift toward
the cities and towns and that is ALL
This makes the record indicating a
net loss in rural population, which is
more than made UP by the net gain ia
urban population.
The theory of loss of population
was caused by the fact that the state
census of 1905 showed a loss from
the figures of the federal census OF
1900 and the federal census of 1910
also showed smaller population
than in 1900. But now comes the
state enumeration of 1915, probably
the most complete and perfect ever
made, showing a real gain over any
previous enumeration. IL state cen-s
sus returns are alone considered then
there has been an increase every ten
years, not SO much now as formerly,
but still steady increase. But if
federal figures are alone considered
then there was big increase up to
1900 and big drop to 1910. The
Souht VI Ioio ShoWiHS A,ooo o,OUO tO-
tai indicates that something was
wrong with some of the figures.
If from the federal census a total
OF about 100000 be subtracted, and
to the count of 1910 about rs, 600 be
added, then the record, state and fed
eral taken together, will show a fair
ly even and uniform increase of
population, which conforms closely 70
the well known facts as TO Iowa pros
perity.
The story about the Iowa loss OF
population therefore seems to be one
based entirely on defective enumer-
alton. Hereafter those who discuss
Iowa statistics Will have to modify
their statements about the trend OF
population growth. This is one of
the big things brought out in the new
census report.
There has been a decline in the
rural population of Iowa in ten years,
corresponding to the decline which
has been noted in all parts of the
country for number of years be-
cause of the pronounced tendency to
move to the cities and towns. The
present rural population of Iowa is
l,OSO,116, while ten years ago il
was 1,142,114. But the urban popu-
lation is 1,277, $50, which is 210,O14
greater than it was ten years ago.
Thus the aggregate population of the
state is greater than ever before. Ly-
On county has made the largest gain
in rural population and Mahaska the
greatest loss, due to the loss of min
iEg camps. The rural population OF
Iowa is now 45.S per cent and it was
Sl.2 per cent ten years ago.
lie average number of persons in
iowa to the square mile of land area
is now 42.4. The average number
per square mile of rural population is
VA. The density of rural popula-
tion ranges from 1876 in Dickinson
county to 45.4 in Monroe county.
Scott county comes next to Monroe
In density of rural population and
Folk county follows. There is a very
even distribution OF rural population
throughout Iowa.
The population of the state diyid-
ed as to age classes is roughly as fol-
lows; Under school age, 237,760, an
increase in ten years of ,l.7 per cent:
or school age, 736,925; a decrease of
IL per cent; above school age, L.
Ss3,3Sl, an increase of 1928 per cent.
The voting population of Iowa, or
those entitled to vote if they choose
TO exercise the right. numbers 6s4,-
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