The census estimates that 2,134 people left Des Moines between July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2004.
That population decline of 1.1 percent would make Des Moines one of the top 10 cities in the country in that one-year period for losing residents. Earlier census estimates found Dallas County, west of the city, to be one of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the nation from 2003 to 2004.
Paul Wilson, 55, lives in Van Meter, which from 2000 to 2004 saw a 21 percent increase in population, from 866 to 1,050, the census estimated.
Iowa’s top 10 cities
City — 2004 Population (Change from 2000 to 2004)
1. Des Moines — 194,311 (-2.2%)
2. Cedar Rapids — 122,206 (+1.2%)
3. Davenport — 98,355 (0%)
4. Sioux City — 83,680 (-1.6%)
5. Waterloo — 66,767 (-2.9%)
6. Iowa City — 63,027 (+1.3%)
7. Council Bluffs — 59,347 (+1.9%)
8. Dubuque — 57,504 (-0.3%)
9. Ames — 53,319 (+3.1%)
10. West Des Moines — 51,363 (+10.7)
Source: U.S Census Bureau annual estimates as of July 1, 2004.