Common Sense Institute Iowa (CSI) is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Iowa’s economy.
Iowa, USA
Joined November 2023
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Iowa's data center boom could mean billions more flowing through the state's economy. CSI research estimates that ongoing operations of announced data center projects could contribute $18.5 BILLION to Iowa's GDP and $9 billion in personal income between 2027 and 2031.
That's more business for local suppliers, more income for workers, and economic activity reaching well beyond the data centers themselves.
Read CSI's full report to learn more: bit.ly/3W0k4bi
Over the past 12 months, Iowa has added 4,000 nonfarm jobs (+0.3%), ranking 33rd nationally in job growth—a five-spot improvement that brings Iowa level with the national average of +0.3%. Construction led the way (+3,300), followed by government (+1,700) and financial services (+1,400).
See the full analysis in CSI’s latest report: bit.ly/4i1g2YL
New CSI research finds Iowa ranks FIRST in the Midwest for operating data center capacity per capita and second in total operating capacity. With more projects on the way, Iowa is becoming a major player in one of the country's fastest-growing industries.
Read the report ⬇️
bit.ly/3W0k4bi
Consumer prices in the Midwest are now 31.2% higher than in early 2020. As a result, the typical Iowa household is spending about $1,550 more per month, totaling over $62,000 in additional costs, just to maintain the same standard of living. Learn more in CSI's latest inflation report: bit.ly/3Wt9RUN
Inflation hit nearly every major spending category in the Midwest. From September 2025 to September 2026, energy (22.0%), transportation (8.4%), commodities (4.5%), and apparel (4.2%) led the way. Only durable goods (-0.7%) posted a decline. Learn more in CSI's latest inflation report: bit.ly/3Wt9RUN
ALT An infographic titled "Did You Know?" presents data on inflation in the Midwest from September 2025 to September 2026. It shows increases in Energy (22%), Transportation (8.4%), Commodities (4.5%), and Apparel (4.2%). There are two stacked gold coins on the right side. The source is commonsenseinstitutes.org/iowa.
Energy prices rose fastest in the Midwest, but shelter drove inflation the most. Shelter contributed 1.43 of the 4.2 percentage points in the annual rate (roughly 34% of the total), with transportation close behind at 1.4 points. Learn more in CSI's latest inflation report: bit.ly/3Wt9RUN
Inflation accelerated in September 2026. The U.S. year-over-year rate rose from 3.4% to 3.7%, while the Midwest's rate jumped from 3.6% to 4.2%, outpacing the nation for eight consecutive months, since February 2026. Learn more in CSI's latest inflation report: bit.ly/3Wt9RUN
ALT The image features a cityscape of Des Moines, Iowa, with an upward-trending arrow. It contains the logo of the Common Sense Institute. Text highlights that inflation accelerated in September, with the U.S. rate rising from 3.4% to 3.7% and the Midwest's rate from 3.6% to 4.2%. The nation has experienced this trend for eight consecutive months, since February 2026. The URL commonsenseinstituteco.org/iowa is included at the bottom.
CSI's Ben Murrey joined WHO Radio to discuss new research revealing the full economic impact of agriculture across the state.
The report found that agriculture supports an estimated 1 in 4 Iowa jobs and roughly one-third of the state's GDP, reaching far beyond the farm into manufacturing, transportation, banking, and more.
Read the full report: bit.ly/4j8ybVA
Agriculture supports 1 in 4 Iowa jobs. 🌽
CSI’s new analysis finds Iowa agriculture supports roughly 534,000 jobs in 2026, accounting for about 25% of employment statewide.
Agriculture’s footprint extends far beyond the farm.
See the full impact on Iowa’s economy ⬇️
bit.ly/4j8ybVA
Iowa agriculture reaches well beyond the farm.
CSI finds agriculture supports:
44.9% of transportation and warehousing jobs
42.6% of wholesale trade jobs
38.2% of manufacturing jobs
That’s nearly 2 in 5 Iowa manufacturing jobs connected to agriculture.
CSI’s latest report maps the full footprint of Iowa’s farm economy. Read more: bit.ly/4j8ybVA
ALT The image contains a graphic with text over a background of a field and tractor. The top shows a circular icon with a wheat symbol. Below, large text reads, "Did You Know?" followed by smaller text stating, "Nearly 2 in 5 Iowa manufacturing jobs are connected to agriculture. CSI’s new analysis finds agriculture supports 38.2% of manufacturing employment in Iowa." At the bottom is a link to commonsenseinstituteco.org.
New coverage from KCJJ highlights CSI’s finding that local government payroll consumed 4.15% of Iowans’ personal income in 2025, the 7th-highest share in the nation. The report also takes a closer look at the growth of Iowa’s local government workforce and what it means as new limits on city and county property tax revenue take effect.
Check out CSI’s latest research: bit.ly/4hPIk7h
Read the article: bit.ly/3TDMxmw
How big is agriculture’s impact on Iowa’s economy?
From 2026 through 2030, CSI estimates that agriculture will support approximately:
💰 $556 billion in GDP
📈 $1.2 trillion in economic output
💵 $258 billion in personal income
Dig into the data: bit.ly/4j8ybVA
Iowa’s job market is showing signs of improvement in 2026. CSI research finds the state gained 7,800 jobs through the first eight months of the year, a notable turnaround from the 9,600 jobs lost over the same period last year.
Check out the latest employment data: bit.ly/4yQHNsB
Iowa’s local government workforce is changing.
Between 2019 and 2025:
🏫 School district employment fell 0.6%
🏛️ Non-school local government employment grew 10.8%
That 10.8% increase was more than 2X the Midwest rate and more than 3X the national rate.
Where did the growth come from? CSI finds nearly all of Iowa’s net local government employment growth was concentrated in counties and municipalities. Read more: bit.ly/3TkvWE7
Hard work and dedication always pay off. Huge congratulations to Andrzej on stepping into his new role as Senior Research Analyst here at CSI Iowa! We are so excited to see all the great things you will accomplish next.
Local payroll growth is outpacing the property tax revenue that funds it. Between 2019 and 2025, payrolls across Iowa’s counties and municipalities grew 39.5%, while property tax revenue grew 28.4%. That’s a gap of more than 10 percentage points.
CSI’s latest report takes a closer look at the numbers behind Iowa’s local government growth. Read the report: bit.ly/3TkvWE7
What’s changing inside Iowa’s public schools?
New coverage from Western Iowa Today highlights CSI Iowa research examining the growth of administrative staffing and spending as student enrollment declines.
The data offer a closer look at where education resources are going and how Iowa’s public school system has changed over the past decade. Learn more: bit.ly/4yZmsxb
Check out the latest headlines: bit.ly/3Towqck
In a new PolitiFact fact-check, CSI’s tax research is cited to provide context on the impact of recent state tax reforms. CSI estimated that Iowa’s 2024 income tax law would save a typical household earning $75,000 approximately $410 in 2025, in addition to savings from earlier reforms.
Get the facts in CSI's latest Tax Reform research: bit.ly/4iOWnw4
How much of Iowans’ income goes toward local government payroll?
In 2025, local government payroll consumed 4.15% of statewide personal income, the 7th-highest share in the nation. CSI estimates that if Iowa’s burden matched the national median, $1.6 billion would instead be available for other priorities or to be returned to taxpayers.
CSI’s latest report digs into the size and cost of Iowa’s local government workforce. Learn more: bit.ly/3TkvWE7
Over the past 12 months, Iowa has added 700 nonfarm jobs (+0.0%), ranking 38th nationally in job growth—an improvement of one spot, but still short of the national average of +0.4%. Six of Iowa's 11 major sectors grew over the year, led by education & health services (+6,000) and construction (+3,200). See the full analysis in CSI's latest report: bit.ly/4yQHNsB
