Iowa Real Estate

If you are thinking of trading in your laptop and fast paced life for overalls and some time on the farm, look no where other than in Iowa for your next home. Iowa has some of the richest soil in the nation providing the state with a healthy harvest of soybeans and corn and healthy livestock, including hogs and cattle. Iowa is bordered by two of the nation's greatest rivers, the Mississippi on the east and the Missouri on the west. With more than 31 million acres of farmland, Iowa produces billions of dollars worth of corn, soybean, pork and other products. Total agriculture production was valued at $14.7 billion in 2005. Iowa ranks number one in the nation in production of soybean, corn, eggs and pork. If you want to be part of the natural production of these products, Iowa also has more than100,000 acres of organic farmland. Iowa leads the nation in protecting that farmland having set aside 520,000 acres as field borders, buffers, and contour buffer strips, that prevent soil erosion and help keep the water supply clean.

House prices in Iowa vary greatly depending on where you want to live. Homes around Des Moines, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA; and Iowa City, IA; are the most expensive, ranging from $129,750 to $168,400 according to April 2007 real estate statistics. Real estate in north central Iowa and western Iowa is much less, ranging from $35,500 to $79,300.

Statewide, the average price for a home in Iowa has jumped 17 percent to $128,900 in April 2007 from $109,500 in April 2006.. The number of homes sold in Iowa has increased slightly to 3,234 in April 2007 from 3,175 in April 2006.

Iowa Education

Early childhood education is a significant part of Iowa's education initiative. To better compete with other states; Iowa has implemented a volunteer preschool program. This program will give four-year-old children who would not otherwise have an opportunity a chance to enter preschool free of charge in their own school district.

Each year, students in Iowa must take a variety of achievement tests to show how well they are learning. Iowa has met all standards put forth by the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Iowa rates higher than other areas in the nation when it comes to test scores, teacher quality, college preparedness, graduation rates, health and safety. Eighty-six percent of the population earned a high school degree or higher and 21.2 percent attained a bachelor's degree or higher and, students don't have to travel far for a higher education. Iowa has 64 colleges and universities.

Nutrition is also high on Iowa's education initiative. Iowa was among three other states chosen to participate in a nutrition pilot program organized by the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services. Each participating state provided dried fruit and fresh fruit and vegetables to students to encourage a habit of eating nutritious foods.

Iowa Demographics and History

The estimated population in Iowa in 2006 was 2.9 million. Polk County, IA, has the largest population. Polk County, IA is named after James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States. Polk County is also the home of the U.S. Calvary post Fort DM, which was used during WWI as an African American officers training camp. During WWII, the post was the base for the Women's Army Corps. Polk County, which has a modest amount of racial and ethnic diversity, saw a 6.7 percent increase in population from 2000 to 2005.

Linn County, IA, has the second largest population. The county, located in east central Iowa, has 18 communities and 11 villages. It is one of the few counties experiencing growth according to population and economic forecasts. The reports show that Linn County, IA, will experience a 10 percent population increase each decade through 2030 and an increase in jobs of 14 to 21 percent each decade. The median household income in Iowa was $42,865 in 2004.