New research from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) confirms what many communities across Iowa have felt for years. Too many graduates are leaving the state, and the economic consequences are significant.
According to the analysis, Iowa’s long-term out-migration of public university graduates has resulted in an estimated $96 billion in lost earnings. The ripple effects touch workforce availability, tax revenue, and long-term growth.
The challenge is real. But here in the Cedar Valley, we’re not waiting to react.
Through the Count Me In Population Study, Grow Cedar Valley is taking a proactive, data-driven approach to understanding who we are, who we’re losing, and what it will take to keep people here in the Cedar Valley.
Graduate Retention Starts With Belonging
The CSI report shows that only about half of Iowa’s public university graduates remain in the state ten years after graduation, even though roughly three-quarters of students are Iowa residents. From 2001 to 2021, the state lost a net 68,000 graduates compared to expected retention levels.
What we’re seeing in the data matches what we hear in conversations every day. Feeling welcome and building connections play a big role in whether people stay.
That’s why one the Population Study’s Big Bet 3 focuses on Careers Worth Staying For. This work is centered on helping students and early-career professionals see clear paths forward here through stronger career visibility, employer engagement, and opportunities to build connections early. Efforts like newcomer programming, young professional engagement, and closer ties between employers and the community help people form roots sooner, when decisions about where to build a life are still taking shape.
Retention Is an Economic Strategy
The Population Study treats population growth and retention as an economic development issue that touches nearly every part of the region. A steady population supports business growth, talent recruitment, housing demand, and local investment.
This is where Big Bet 2: Innovation that Competes comes into focus. The study calls for strengthening the types of industries, roles, and opportunities that allow people to build careers over time. Supporting business evolution, entrepreneurship, and higher-value work helps create an economy where people can see long-term opportunity and choose to stay.
Keeping Graduates Benefits Everyone
The report also outlines the fiscal impact of graduate loss, estimating that Iowa could be collecting hundreds of millions more each year in state and local tax revenue if retention rates were higher.
At the regional level, the Population Study helps communities understand how population trends affect everything from infrastructure and services to school enrollment and local investment. Retaining graduates strengthens the tax base, supports public services, and helps communities plan with confidence.
This work is about long-term stability, not quick fixes.
Turning Data Into Action
At the center of this work is Big Bet 1: One Vision, One Valley, which focuses on acting as one region with shared priorities and a clear sense of direction. The Population Study calls for stronger regional coordination, shared priorities, and a clearer narrative about who we are and where we’re headed. When communities, employers, educators, and partners move in the same direction, the Cedar Valley is better positioned to compete and follow through on long-term goals.
Through Count Me In, Grow Cedar Valley and regional partners are already moving forward with strategies that support talent retention, early connection, and regional alignment. Tools like Live the Valley, Cedar Valley Young Professionals, employer education, and community events all play a role in translating data into lived experience.
“The CSI report confirms the scale of the challenge Iowa is facing. The Population Study shows how the Cedar Valley is stepping up to meet it.” – Katy Susong, President & CEO | Grow Cedar Valley
The work ahead will take collaboration, consistency, and commitment. But by understanding our population today and planning intentionally for tomorrow, the Cedar Valley is positioning itself to keep talent here, not just educate it and watch it leave.
Want to Bring this Conversation to Your Organization?
If you would like Grow Cedar Valley to present the Population Study findings and the 3 Big Bets to your business or organization, please fill out this form to get started.
More information on next steps and additional ways to stay engaged will be shared soon. In the meantime, thank you for showing up, leaning in, and contributing to an important conversation about what comes next for our region. We’re grateful for your interest, your time, and your commitment to the Cedar Valley.
