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2020 census data shows 6% decline in Clayton County

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By Shelia Tomkins

Clayton County saw a 6% decrease in population between 2010 and 2020, according to data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Clayton County's population stood at 17,043 in 2020, compared to 18,129 ten years ago. That figure reflects a national trend of shrinking population in rural areas. 

The City of Guttenberg lost residents in the past ten years, tallying 1,817 in 2020 as compared to 1,919 in 2010. Guttenberg is the largest city in Clayton County, followed by Elkader, which also saw a decline in population from 1,209 in 2020 compared to 1,273 in 2010.

Garnavillo bucked the downward trend, showing an increase of 18 residents in the past decade, from 745 in 2010 to 763 in 2020. 

Seasonal population

The Mississippi River draws many seasonal residents to Guttenberg where they own second homes. There are also local residents who go south for the winter. So how does the census bureau count people with more than one address?

According to the federal Population Reference Bureau, people with seasonal homes or who have transitory living arrangements (such as RV parks and carnivals) are counted at the residence where they live and sleep most of the time. If they have no usual residence, they’re counted at their location on Census Day.

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The decennial census provides the first look at populations for small areas and include information on Hispanic origin, race, age 18 and over, housing occupancy and group quarters. They represent where people were living as of April 1, 2020, and are available for Iowa communities down to the block level.

Iowa’s total population in 2020 was 3,190,369. The largest county is Polk with 492,401 population and Adams comes in as the smallest county with 3,704 population.

The original Census timeline was delayed months due to the pandemic, and the Iowa Legislature will now use the 2020 Census data in the upcoming redistricting process. The population counts will also determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding is allocated to communities across the country.

The 2020 Census data is available now at www.iowadatacenter.org/data/decennial.

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