Distinctly Different

Marshalltown positioned well for growth in next decade

According to the population numbers recently reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, Marshalltown kept pace with similar-sized communities in Iowa. Between 2010 and 2020 Marshalltown showed a slight growth from 27,552 to 27,591 or an increase in population of 0.1%.


“Given what has transpired in this community over the last several years with two significant natural disasters, you would expect to see a sharp decline in population as a result,” said John Hall, President & CEO of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce. “The results we received of effectively holding steady came as a welcome surprise and means we are incredibly well positioned to bounce back from those disasters and grow from there.”


In comparison to other cities of similar size in the state, Marshalltown, Muscatine and Ottumwa saw growth while Fort Dodge, Mason City, Burlington and Clinton saw a population decline.


Marshall County as a whole did see a decline of 1.3 percent in population.

“We will continue to work with our partners in other area towns to help with the growth of the county,” Hall said. “It’s no secret that the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce has ambitious growth plans for Marshalltown and Marshall County and it’s going to take growth in all corners of the county in order to make that happen.” 

Skip to content