How Iowa’s Economy Is Faring Heading Into the Caucuses, in Seven Charts

As Iowa gears up to host the first 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest on Jan. 15, the state’s economy is growing but at a slower pace than most of the country. 

Home to 3.2 million people, the Hawkeye State is nearly 90% white and just under a third of its residents are college-educated. A smaller share of people in Iowa live in poverty than the U.S. average, 11% compared with 12.6% nationwide. The state’s economy depends on the retail, agriculture and manufacturing industries.