Most Asian cities in Iowa research summary. We analyzed Iowa’s most recent Census data to determine the most Asian cities in Iowa based on the percentage of Asian residents.
12.7% Asian · #1 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Buena Vista County, Iowa
Storm Lake is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,600 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buena Vista County. Storm Lake is home to Buena Vista University, originally Buena Vista College. Tyson Foods operates a large hog slaughterhouse, meat packing plant, and turkey processing plant in Storm Lake.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
11.7% Asian · #2 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Jefferson County, Iowa
Fairfield is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. It has a population totaling 9,464 people according to the 2010 census. It is a Midwestern city surrounded by rolling farmlands filled with corn, soybean, cattle, and hogs with a median family income of $46,138. The city became the county seat in 1839 with 110 residents and grew to 650 by 1847. Its library was established in 1853, and it held its first fair in 1854. Early architecture includes work by George Franklin Barber and Barry Byrne, who trained under Frank Lloyd Wright.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
9.3% Asian · #3 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Story County, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of Story County, Iowa, United States. It is located approximately 30 miles north of Des Moines, and had a 2010 population of 58,965. The U.S. Census Bureau designates the Ames metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County; combined with the Boone, Iowa micropolitan statistical area, the pair make up the larger Ames-Boone combined statistical area. While Ames is the largest city in Story County, the county seat is in the nearby city of Nevada 8 miles east of Ames.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
8.5% Asian · #4 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Johnson County, Iowa
Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,907 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.6% Asian · #5 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Linn County, Iowa
Hiawatha is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb located north of Cedar Rapids and is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,024 in the 2010 census, an increase from 6,480 in 2000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.3% Asian · #6 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 17,278 in the 2010 census, an increase of almost 100% from the 8,649 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.1% Asian · #7 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Johnson County, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 74,398 in 2016, making it the state’s fifth-largest city. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County. The metropolitan area, which encompasses Johnson and Washington counties, has a population of over 164,000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.0% Asian · #8 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Scott County, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the “Quad Cities”. It is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,217 at the 2010 census, and was estimated to be 35,505 by July 2015. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Davenport and the Illinois cities of Moline, East Moline and Rock Island. The Quad Cities has a population estimate of 382,630. In 2011, Bettendorf was named U.S. 95th Best Town by CNNMoney.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
6.6% Asian · #9 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Warren County, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to “Des Moines” in 1857. It is on and named after the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the French colonial name, Rivire des Moines, meaning “River of the Monks”. The city’s population was 203,433 as of the 2010 census. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 89th in terms of population in the United States with 634,725 residents according to the 2016 estimate by the United States Census Bureau.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
6.5% Asian · #10 most Asian in Iowa
Located in
Dallas County, Iowa
Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 13,790 at the 2010 Census; a fast growth has been measured since as it is estimated there were 19,284 people living in Waukee in 2016. It is part of the Des Moines – West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Iowa’s Asian communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Iowa With The Largest Asian Population For 2026
We used Saturday Night Science to compare Census data on race across every place in Iowa.
The Census’s most recently available data comes from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to cities with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 76 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 12.7% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of Asian population, with a higher percentage being more Asian. Storm Lake took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Winterset was the least Asian city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cities in Iowa with the largest Asian population.
The full plate
Cities In Iowa By Asian Population
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Asian Population | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Storm Lake | 11,428 | 1,457 | 12.7% |
| 2 | Fairfield | 9,456 | 1,102 | 11.7% |
| 3 | Ames | 67,669 | 6,310 | 9.3% |
| 4 | Coralville | 23,234 | 1,973 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Hiawatha | 7,206 | 547 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Johnston | 24,384 | 1,772 | 7.3% |
| 7 | Iowa City | 75,752 | 5,365 | 7.1% |
| 8 | Bettendorf | 39,647 | 2,766 | 7.0% |
| 9 | Des Moines | 212,421 | 13,931 | 6.6% |
| 10 | Waukee | 29,236 | 1,910 | 6.5% |
| 11 | West Des Moines | 71,083 | 4,504 | 6.3% |
| 12 | Urbandale | 46,595 | 2,283 | 4.9% |
| 13 | Marshalltown | 27,626 | 1,343 | 4.9% |
| 14 | Grimes | 16,366 | 759 | 4.6% |
| 15 | Clive | 19,012 | 813 | 4.3% |
| 16 | North Liberty | 21,125 | 886 | 4.2% |
| 17 | Grinnell | 9,505 | 372 | 3.9% |
| 18 | Webster City | 7,769 | 287 | 3.7% |
| 19 | Ankeny | 72,615 | 2,538 | 3.5% |
| 20 | Denison | 8,260 | 274 | 3.3% |
| 21 | Charles City | 7,232 | 234 | 3.2% |
| 22 | Cedar Falls | 40,888 | 1,300 | 3.2% |
| 23 | Waterloo | 67,008 | 2,125 | 3.2% |
| 24 | Cedar Rapids | 137,264 | 3,581 | 2.6% |
| 25 | Sioux City | 86,101 | 2,027 | 2.4% |
| 26 | Ottumwa | 25,430 | 579 | 2.3% |
| 27 | Marion | 41,896 | 895 | 2.1% |
| 28 | Altoona | 21,495 | 452 | 2.1% |
| 29 | Red Oak | 5,510 | 109 | 2.0% |
| 30 | Davenport | 100,913 | 1,882 | 1.9% |
| 31 | Clear Lake | 7,607 | 133 | 1.7% |
| 32 | Mount Pleasant | 8,951 | 150 | 1.7% |
| 33 | Oskaloosa | 11,504 | 189 | 1.6% |
| 34 | Pleasant Hill | 11,136 | 182 | 1.6% |
| 35 | Dubuque | 59,174 | 915 | 1.5% |
| 36 | Fort Dodge | 24,827 | 381 | 1.5% |
| 37 | Centerville | 5,372 | 82 | 1.5% |
| 38 | Burlington | 23,728 | 360 | 1.5% |
| 39 | Knoxville | 7,473 | 111 | 1.5% |
| 40 | Waverly | 10,494 | 154 | 1.5% |
| 41 | Clarinda | 5,353 | 78 | 1.5% |
| 42 | Eldridge | 6,818 | 96 | 1.4% |
| 43 | Sheldon | 5,474 | 73 | 1.3% |
| 44 | Anamosa | 5,629 | 75 | 1.3% |
| 45 | Mason City | 27,050 | 359 | 1.3% |
| 46 | Decorah | 7,535 | 98 | 1.3% |
| 47 | Pella | 10,720 | 138 | 1.3% |
| 48 | Sioux Center | 8,454 | 104 | 1.2% |
| 49 | Norwalk | 14,183 | 167 | 1.2% |
| 50 | Creston | 7,435 | 86 | 1.2% |
| 51 | Council Bluffs | 62,586 | 675 | 1.1% |
| 52 | Indianola | 16,044 | 151 | 0.9% |
| 53 | Oelwein | 5,834 | 54 | 0.9% |
| 54 | Spencer | 11,400 | 103 | 0.9% |
| 55 | Muscatine | 23,489 | 200 | 0.9% |
| 56 | Cherokee | 5,154 | 39 | 0.8% |
| 57 | Fort Madison | 10,133 | 56 | 0.6% |
| 58 | Clinton | 24,322 | 128 | 0.5% |
| 59 | Iowa Falls | 5,038 | 26 | 0.5% |
| 60 | Algona | 5,377 | 25 | 0.5% |
| 61 | Independence | 6,164 | 27 | 0.4% |
| 62 | Orange City | 6,426 | 28 | 0.4% |
| 63 | Perry | 7,985 | 34 | 0.4% |
| 64 | Atlantic | 6,763 | 25 | 0.4% |
| 65 | Carroll | 10,208 | 36 | 0.4% |
| 66 | Keokuk | 9,662 | 34 | 0.4% |
| 67 | Estherville | 5,839 | 20 | 0.3% |
| 68 | Newton | 15,700 | 14 | 0.1% |
| 69 | Nevada | 6,983 | 6 | 0.1% |
| 70 | Boone | 12,424 | 8 | 0.1% |
| 71 | Le Mars | 10,640 | 5 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Maquoketa | 6,075 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Manchester | 5,191 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Washington | 7,290 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Glenwood | 5,144 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Winterset | 5,416 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 76 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Asian Populations Across Iowa
If you’re looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Iowa according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The most Asian cities in Iowa are Storm Lake, Fairfield, Ames, Coralville, Hiawatha, Johnston, Iowa City, Bettendorf, Des Moines, and Waukee. Not sold on Iowa? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Asian Cities In Iowa FAQs
What is the most Asian city in Iowa?
Storm Lake is the most Asian city in Iowa for 2026, at 12.7% of residents. Fairfield and Ames are next.
What cities in Iowa have the largest Asian population?
The Iowa cities with the largest Asian population shares are Storm Lake, Fairfield, Ames, Coralville, Hiawatha, Johnston, Iowa City, Bettendorf, Des Moines, and Waukee. We ranked all 76 places with more than 5,000 residents.
What percent of Storm Lake is Asian?
Asian residents make up 12.7% of Storm Lake, the highest share of the 76 Iowa places we measured. The numbers come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
What is the least Asian city in Iowa?
Winterset is the least Asian city in Iowa, at 0.0%. It sits at the opposite end of the same ranking.
Where does this data come from?
Every share is calculated from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020-2024), based on residents identifying as Asian alone. We rank each Iowa place with more than 5,000 residents.
