Foreclosures in Iowa increased in 2009 over the prior year. There was a total of 5,681 properties with foreclosure 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.
Iowa is the 30th largest U.S. state by population, with 3,007,856 people (in 2009). Its 56,272 square miles make it the 26th largest state by area. Median household income in 2008 was $48,980.
While Iowa has been called the "buckle" of the "Corn Belt," the state actually generates a relatively small portion of its economy from agriculture. Instead, the largest economic sector is manufacturing. Cases in point: Iowa is home to ConAgra, Heinz, Wonder Bread, General Mills, 3M, and John Deere among many others. Although agriculture contributes only about 4 percent of the economy, the state still hosts some of the world's largest agribusinesses, including Monsanto and ADM.
