German Population in Des Moines County, IA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The German population in Des Moines County, IA is reported at 11,015 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Each of the four cities in Des Moines County shows a German population, including Burlington (6,621), West Burlington (892), Mediapolis (726), and Danville (243). Together, they comprise the bulk of 11,015 residents in the county. The rest appear to reside in unincorporated areas. This city-plus-rural pattern is examined in the insights below.

Top 5 cities with the largest German population in Des Moines County

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  • 1
    Burlington
    German population in Burlington is 6,621
    27.82% of Burlington population is German
  • 2
    West Burlington
    German population in West Burlington is 892
    28.02% of West Burlington population is German
  • 3
    Mediapolis
    German population in Mediapolis is 726
    37.62% of Mediapolis population is German
  • 4
    Danville
    German population in Danville is 243
    25.16% of Danville population is German

Overview of German population in Des Moines County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Des Moines County with 11,015 German residents (28.5% of 38,597 total county population), placing the jurisdiction at the 74th percentile nationally among counties and 83rd percentile within Iowa for German population density, with demographic concentrations among the highest nationwide.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data documents Des Moines County's German demographic representation of 28.5%, exceeding the national average of 12.6% while remaining below Iowa's elevated state average of 30.8%, placing the county above national concentration levels while below state demographic averages.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey show Des Moines County's 11,015 German residents constitute 1.1% of Iowa's total German population of 985,304.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey shows Des Moines County maintains 26.5 German Americans per square mile compared to Iowa's average of 17.6, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to state averages.
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Des Moines County Cities Ranked by German Population

View Methodology
ACS demographic data [1] document 11,015 German residents across all four cities in Des Moines County, IA included in this analysis* — Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis and Danville. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on Census Bureau data.
cities in Des Moines County, IA ranked by German population count
Rank by German Population
City
German Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Des Moines County German Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Burlington 6,621 27.82% 60.11%
2 West Burlington 892 28.02% 8.10%
3 Mediapolis 726 37.62% 6.59%
4 Danville 243 25.16% 2.21%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Des Moines County, IA by their German population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines German population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having German ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as German alone, while others identify as German along with another race (such as German and German).
  • We’ve used the “German alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the German population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as German alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as German .
  2. % of Total Des Moines County German Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. German population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small German populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported German population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where German populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.