In 94 years the population of Iowa grew from 10,531 to 2,469,889.

In 1856 only 18.4 percent of the people of Iowa had been born in the state, 65.1 percent were natives of other states and 16.5 percent had come from foreign lands; while in 1925, 72.1 percent were native Iowans, 19.9 percent were natives of other states and only 8 percent were foreign born.

The settlement of Iowa took place from the east and southeast toward the west and northwest in wavelike movements. These movement gave rise to significant differences in age distribution and length of residence in the different regions of the state.