Hunter
01/07/26
Iowa is among the top states people are leaving, according to new migration data from Atlas Van Lines.
According to the report, Iowa was the 7th most “outbound” state, with Louisiana and West Virginia taking the top spots. Nebraska, 5th, and South Dakota at 9th, also made the top ten.
The study tracks Atlas Van Lines customers, measuring their moves from Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2025.
Axios Des Moines reports high outbound rates can shrink Iowa’s future workforce and tax base, straining economic growth and local services. Migration patterns also shape housing demand, business investment and long-term population trends.
The Atlas report aligns with recent Census Bureau estimates, which show the state is growing slowly but posting net domestic out-migration of nearly 9,500 people between 2020 and 2024. The growth has been dependent on international migration, which the Census Bureau estimates increased by almost 50,000 people between 2020 and 2024.
A release from Rob Sand For Governor commented on the report, and cited a Moody’s Analytics report naming Iowa as one of 22 states considered in or at a high risk of a recession. Sand’s release said, “Iowa’s elected officials and a decade of one-party control has led to people leaving Iowa for other states where they have access to better opportunities, can earn more money, and where their fundamental freedoms aren’t under attack. This outbound migration drains our economy, weakens our workforce, and leaves good jobs across industries like health care and manufacturing sitting empty.
Links to the Atlas study and an article about the Moody’s report are available with this story on the KCJJ app and at 1630 KCJJ dot com.
https://www.atlasvanlines.com/resources/migration-patterns
https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2025/10/16/iowa-economy-recession-brain-drain