Population:

30th largest U.S. State by population, with 3,007,856 people (2009 estimate).
26th largest state in the country by area, at 56,272 square miles.

Largest city: Des Moines

Median income:$48,980 (2008 estimate)

Climate:
Yearly rainfall: 34.7 inches per year
Yearly snowfall: 32 inches per year
Temperatures (High/Low) in capital city of Bridgeport:
January, 29/12; July, 86/66

Foreclosures:
Foreclosure activity for 2009 increased in Iowa over the prior year. There was a total of 5,681 properties with filings. That works out to a rate of one filing for every 234 households, which compares to the United States average of 45, and is a little less than one half of one percent of the state’s housing units.

Those figures represent a 5 percent increase over 2008 and a 38 percent increase over 2007.

In 2008 there were about 55,700 existing homes (including condos, co-ops, and single-family homes but excluding new homes) sold in Iowa, compared to about 70,500 sold in 2007.

Economy:
Though most people know Iowa as the buckle of the so-called “Corn Belt,” the state actually derives a relatively small part of its economy from agriculture. The largest sector of economic activity in Iowa is actually manufacturing. Iowa is home to ConAgra, Heinz, Wonder Bread, General Mills, 3M, and John Deere among many others. Agriculture contributes only about 4 percent of the economy, but the state still has a strong presence from some of the world's largest agribusinesses like Monsanto and ADM.

Noteworthy:
Every four years, Iowa is overrun by media and presidential hopefuls for months as they compete in the Iowa Caucuses, the critical first vote in the presidential primary process.”