In 1900, almost three-fourths of Iowa population lived on farms or in small towns. By 2010, only 36 percent of Iowans remained in rural areas. Most small Iowa towns will never gain population again. That’s why some have turned their focus from growing numbers, to growing quality of life.
A handful of Iowa communities and a group of Iowa State University researchers are trying to demonstrate that less can, in fact, be more, and small can, in fact, be vibrant.