Iowa's household income sees modest growth

Iowans grew marginally wealthier in the second half of the last decade, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• The state's median household income rose from $59,769 between 2011-15 to $61,836 between 2016 and 2020.

The big picture: That was the final stretch of the longest expansion in the history of U.S. business cycles and followed The Great Recession.

• The boom ended in spring 2020 as COVID spread, writes Axios' Mike Allen.

The nation's median household income, which had been $59,000 from 2011 to 2015, rose to $65,000 from 2016 to 2020.

• The growth coincides with a rise in educational attainment levels, as well as a significant drop in poverty levels nationwide — 15.5% to 12.8%.

Zoom in: In the Des Moines metro, fast-growing Warren County saw the biggest gains in median household income at a 25% increase, growing from $64,000 to $80,000.