Changes in Iowa highlighted in sociology publication

To say Iowa’s demographic, cultural and social makeup has changed over the last decade would be to state the obvious. But in what exact way has the state changed in that time?
David Peters, associate professor and extension rural sociologist at Iowa State University, has attempted to answer those questions through his new publication “Rural Iowa at a Glance” (SOC 3086). The publication combines data retrieved from various state and federal sources to demonstrate the way Iowa has changed from 2006- 2016. The link for the publication is: https://store.extension. iastate.edu/product/15356 The largest and most concerning trend is a drop in farm income.
Net farm income fell 46 percent from 2015 and is down 54 percent for those living in rural Iowa. Incomes of those who live in micropolitan (counties with an urban center of at least 10,000 people) and metropolitan (counties with an urban center of at least 50,000 people) parts of the state also dropped more than 40 percent since 2015.
Read the full story in the February 28 edition.