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IAIowa rankings

Towns that borrow the most from their library in Iowa

Ranked by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. 51 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Map of Orange City 1 Orange City 18.6 per resident Orange City Public Library Dyersville 2 Dyersville 16.2 per resident James Kennedy Public Library Ames 3 Ames 10.1 per resident Ames Public Library
#TownLoans per residentLibraryLoans a year
1 Map of Orange City Orange City6,426 people 18.6 per resident Orange City Public Library 126,053
2 Dyersville Dyersville4,423 people 16.2 per resident James Kennedy Public Library 83,154
3 Ames Ames67,669 people 10.1 per resident Ames Public Library 736,717
4 Map of Story City Story City3,398 people 10.0 per resident Bertha Bartlett Public Library 36,401
5 Iowa City75,752 people 9.6 per resident Iowa City Public Library 863,766
6 Bettendorf Bettendorf39,647 people 9.2 per resident Bettendorf Public Library Information Center 359,780
7 Urbandale Urbandale46,595 people 9.0 per resident Urbandale Public Library 415,204
8 Clive Clive19,012 people 9.0 per resident Clive Public Library 168,342
9 Johnston Johnston24,384 people 8.8 per resident Johnston Public Library 237,200
10 Coralville Coralville23,234 people 8.7 per resident Coralville Public Library 224,366
11 Marion Marion41,896 people 8.0 per resident Marion Public Library 391,190
12 Grimes Grimes16,366 people 7.6 per resident Grimes Public Library 128,414
13 Map of Waukee Waukee29,236 people 7.3 per resident Waukee Public Library 183,997
14 Cedar Falls Cedar Falls40,888 people 7.2 per resident Cedar Falls Public Library 329,357
15 Map of Huxley Huxley4,544 people 6.4 per resident Huxley Public Library 29,449
16 Mitchellville Mitchellville2,579 people 6.4 per resident Mitchellville Public Library 16,684
17 Le Claire Le Claire4,735 people 6.3 per resident Le Claire Community Library 29,441
18 Altoona Altoona21,495 people 6.2 per resident Altoona Public Library 154,706
19 West Des Moines West Des Moines71,083 people 6.1 per resident West Des Moines Public Library 419,685
20 Polk City Polk City6,037 people 6.1 per resident Polk City Community Library 42,266
21 Marshalltown Marshalltown27,626 people 6.0 per resident Marshalltown Public Library 200,852
22 Dubuque Dubuque59,174 people 5.8 per resident Carnegie-Stout Public Library 349,791
23 Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill11,136 people 5.5 per resident Pleasant Hill Public Library 63,227
24 Nevada Nevada6,983 people 5.3 per resident Nevada Public Library 40,513
25 Ankeny Ankeny72,615 people 4.9 per resident Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library 371,399
26 Norwalk Norwalk14,183 people 4.9 per resident Norwalk Easter Public Library 83,466
27 Map of Sheldon Sheldon5,474 people 4.7 per resident Sheldon Public Library 29,703
28 North Liberty North Liberty21,125 people 4.4 per resident North Liberty Community Library 98,169
29 Map of Spencer Spencer11,400 people 4.4 per resident Spencer Public Library 58,184
30 Jefferson Jefferson4,152 people 4.4 per resident Jefferson Public Library 22,623
31 Map of Hudson Hudson2,699 people 4.3 per resident Hudson Public Library 14,485
32 Perry Perry7,985 people 4.2 per resident Perry Public Library 39,319
33 Des Moines212,421 people 3.8 per resident Des Moines Public Library 848,407
34 Keokuk Keokuk9,662 people 3.7 per resident Keokuk Public Library 42,162
35 Camanche Camanche4,550 people 3.6 per resident Camanche Public Library 17,464
36 Mason City Mason City27,050 people 3.5 per resident Mason City Public Library 102,086
37 Wilton Wilton2,920 people 3.5 per resident Wilton Public Library 12,774
38 Tama Tama3,051 people 3.3 per resident Louise & Lucile Hink/Tama Public Library 10,357
39 Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids137,264 people 3.1 per resident Cedar Rapids Public Library 450,724
40 Mount Vernon Mount Vernon4,513 people 3.1 per resident Russell D. Cole Library 16,238
41 Waterloo Waterloo67,008 people 3.0 per resident Waterloo Public Library 201,665
42 Davenport Davenport100,913 people 2.9 per resident Davenport Public Library 298,091
43 Map of Ottumwa Ottumwa25,430 people 2.7 per resident Ottumwa Public Library 78,402
44 Map of Postville Postville2,979 people 2.7 per resident Postville Public Library 9,004
45 Map of Clarion Clarion2,770 people 2.5 per resident Clarion Public Library 8,385
46 Sioux City Sioux City86,101 people 2.3 per resident Sioux City Public Library 199,909
47 Carter Lake Carter Lake3,767 people 2.2 per resident Carter Lake Public Library 8,382
48 Clinton Clinton24,322 people 1.6 per resident Clinton Public Library 43,805
49 Storm Lake Storm Lake11,428 people 1.4 per resident Storm Lake Public Library 16,680
50 Map of Evansdale Evansdale4,518 people 1.3 per resident Evansdale Public Library 6,127
51 Sergeant Bluff Sergeant Bluff5,171 people 1.0 per resident Sergeant Bluff Public/School Library 4,899

How this ranking works

We rank every town by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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