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Iowa: largest cities

Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.

In short: Iowa: Des Moines has the most residents (212,421) among the 60 largest places.
Des Moines (212,421 residents)Cedar Rapids (137,264 residents)Davenport (100,913 residents)Sioux City (86,101 residents)Iowa City (75,752 residents)Ankeny (72,615 residents)West Des Moines (71,083 residents)Ames (67,669 residents)Waterloo (67,008 residents)Council Bluffs (62,586 residents)Dubuque (59,174 residents)Urbandale (46,595 residents)Marion (41,896 residents)Cedar Falls (40,888 residents)Bettendorf (39,647 residents)Waukee (29,236 residents)Marshalltown (27,626 residents)Mason City (27,050 residents)Ottumwa (25,430 residents)Fort Dodge (24,827 residents)Johnston (24,384 residents)Clinton (24,322 residents)Burlington (23,728 residents)Muscatine (23,489 residents)Coralville (23,234 residents)Altoona (21,495 residents)North Liberty (21,125 residents)Clive (19,012 residents)Grimes (16,366 residents)Indianola (16,044 residents)Newton (15,700 residents)Norwalk (14,183 residents)Boone (12,424 residents)Oskaloosa (11,504 residents)Storm Lake (11,428 residents)Spencer (11,400 residents)Pleasant Hill (11,136 residents)Pella (10,720 residents)Le Mars (10,640 residents)Waverly (10,494 residents)Carroll (10,208 residents)Fort Madison (10,133 residents)Keokuk (9,662 residents)Grinnell (9,505 residents)Fairfield (9,456 residents)Mount Pleasant (8,951 residents)Bondurant (8,560 residents)Sioux Center (8,454 residents)Denison (8,260 residents)Perry (7,985 residents)Webster City (7,769 residents)Clear Lake (7,607 residents)Decorah (7,535 residents)Knoxville (7,473 residents)Creston (7,435 residents)Washington (7,290 residents)Charles City (7,232 residents)Hiawatha (7,206 residents)Nevada (6,983 residents)Eldridge (6,818 residents)
Map of Iowa: the 60 largest cities

Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.

Open the sortable tables of all 60 cities →

By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.

Des Moines#1
212,421population
60cities ranked
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Ranking

CITY (60 largest of Iowa) Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Des Moines has the most residents (212,421), followed by Cedar Rapids and Davenport. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.

What the ranking shows

Across the 60 places in Iowa that we cover, the median is 16,044 and the average 30,219; the figure runs from 212,421 (Des Moines) to 6,818 (Eldridge). That is a spread of 31.2 times between the two ends.

How to use it

The first five are Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: size brings more employers and services but also longer commutes and more competition for housing. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.

Sort:
# ⇅City ⇅County ⇅Population ⇅Median household income ⇅Median rent ⇅
1Des MoinesPolk County212,421$65,932$1,090
2Cedar RapidsLinn County137,264$70,424$967
3DavenportScott County100,913$66,200$978
4Sioux CityWoodbury County86,101$68,906$976
5Iowa CityJohnson County75,752$58,546$1,094
6AnkenyPolk County72,615$108,198$1,319
7West Des MoinesPolk County71,083$86,594$1,237
8AmesStory County67,669$60,991$1,023
9WaterlooBlack Hawk County67,008$57,480$923
10Council BluffsPottawattamie County62,586$64,578$1,030
11DubuqueDubuque County59,174$65,845$948
12UrbandalePolk County46,595$112,795$1,211
13MarionLinn County41,896$86,743$961
14Cedar FallsBlack Hawk County40,888$76,987$1,203
15BettendorfScott County39,647$100,495$1,187
16WaukeeDallas County29,236$101,029$1,383
17MarshalltownMarshall County27,626$69,068$891
18Mason CityCerro Gordo County27,050$64,804$882
19OttumwaWapello County25,430$61,103$921
20Fort DodgeWebster County24,827$60,649$785
21JohnstonPolk County24,384$106,551$1,338
22ClintonClinton County24,322$60,230$791
23BurlingtonDes Moines County23,728$59,000$924
24MuscatineMuscatine County23,489$58,117$974
25CoralvilleJohnson County23,234$69,144$1,057
26AltoonaPolk County21,495$86,114$1,235
27North LibertyJohnson County21,125$102,102$1,246
28ClivePolk County19,012$132,121$1,073
29GrimesPolk County16,366$120,037$1,251
30IndianolaWarren County16,044$75,453$986
31NewtonJasper County15,700$57,771$819
32NorwalkWarren County14,183$102,722$838
33BooneBoone County12,424$69,222$831
34OskaloosaMahaska County11,504$64,004$831
35Storm LakeBuena Vista County11,428$62,765$898
36SpencerClay County11,400$59,667$805
37Pleasant HillPolk County11,136$90,508$1,215
38PellaMarion County10,720$84,111$1,046
39Le MarsPlymouth County10,640$74,701$929
40WaverlyBremer County10,494$80,284$1,057
41CarrollCarroll County10,208$69,706$722
42Fort MadisonLee County10,133$50,705$826
43KeokukLee County9,662$52,711$871
44GrinnellPoweshiek County9,505$65,320$895
45FairfieldJefferson County9,456$51,311$870
46Mount PleasantHenry County8,951$61,042$826
47BondurantPolk County8,560$135,674$1,337
48Sioux CenterSioux County8,454$92,983n/a
49DenisonCrawford County8,260$65,684$731
50PerryDallas County7,985$68,910$931
51Webster CityHamilton County7,769$63,430$907
52Clear LakeCerro Gordo County7,607$79,415$808
53DecorahWinneshiek County7,535$64,366$853
54KnoxvilleMarion County7,473$61,599$801
55CrestonUnion County7,435$52,633$703
56WashingtonWashington County7,290$55,373$968
57Charles CityFloyd County7,232$59,180$735
58HiawathaLinn County7,206$66,270$855
59NevadaStory County6,983$75,094$953
60EldridgeScott County6,818$106,316$945

Other rankings for Iowa

Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes

Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.

FAQ

Which Iowa city has the most residents?

Des Moines, with 212,421 (among the 60 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).

How many cities are ranked?

The 60 largest places in Iowa by population.

Sources

Sources

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