With support from the Solutions Journalism Network
A selected collection of downtown or main street photos taken in Iowa's small towns in summer 2021 for "Small Town Solution," an IowaWatch report on how these towns try to remain vital while losing population.
A handful of small Iowa towns with populations of less than 5,000 and not part of a larger metro area, bucked the trend and grew their populations in the 2020 census data just released. Growing small towns have one or more factors working in their favor, a summer-long IowaWatch investigation revealed for this special report.
Photos by Lyle Muller, except for Belmond, La Porte City, Denver and Parkersburg, which are by Pat Kinney.
Downtown Bloomfield, Iowa, on July 19, 2021.Downtown Ladora, Iowa, on May 12, 2021.Downtown Fredericksburg, Iowa, on June 27, 2021.Downtown Humboldt, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Nashua, Iowa, on June 27, 2021.Downtown Brandon, Iowa, on June 27, 2021.Downtown Monroe, Iowa, on May 19, 2021.Downtown Readlyn, Iowa, on June 27, 2021.Downtown Wellman, Iowa, on Friday, June 11, 2021.Downtown Kalona, Iowa, on Friday, June 11, 2021.Business area in Keota, Iowa,on June 21, 2021.Downtown South English, Iowa, on June 11, 2021.Downtown Harper, Iowa, on June 11, 2021.Downtown Audubon, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Keota, Iowa, on June 11, 2021.Downtown Belmond, Iowa, on May 28, 2021.Downtown La Porte City, Iowa, in June 2021.Downtown Humeston, Iowa's Broad Street, on May 19, 2021.Downtown Hills, Iowa, on June 23, 2021.Downtown Lone Tree, Iowa, on June 23, 2021.Downtown West Bend, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Templeton, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Columbus Junction, Iowa, on June 23, 2021.Downtown Wellsburg, Iowa, on July 27, 2021.Downtown Floyd, Iowa, on Aug. 8, 2021.Downtown Swisher, Iowa, on Aug. 5, 2021.Downtown Solon, Iowa, on July 15, 2021.Downtown Derby, Iowa, on May 19, 2021.Downtown Early, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Harcourt, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Parkersburg, Iowa, on May 26, 2021.Downtown Denver, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Guthrie Center on June 17, 2021.Downtown Sioux Center, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Sac City, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Ringsted, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Panora, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Ogden, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Strawberry Point, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown Winthrop, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown McGregor, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown Farmersburg, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown St. Olaf, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown Elkader, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown Mount Vernon, Iowa, on July 23, 2021.Downtown Cascade, Iowa, July 23, 2021.Downtown Olds, Iowa, on July 19, 2021.Downtown Bloomfield, Iowa, on July 19, 2021.Downtown Boxholm, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Auburn, Iowa, on June 17, 2021.Downtown Armstrong, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Downtown Riverside, Iowa, on June 11, 2021.Conesville, Iowa, on June 23, 2021.Superior, Iowa, on June 18, 2021.Batavia, Iowa, on July 19, 2021.Duncombe, Iowa, during RAGBRAI on July 27, 2021.Downtown Marengo, Iowa, on Sept. 16, 2021.
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In Branstad’
