Iowa
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Iowa
Total Workforce
1,655,458
Federal Workforce
9,794
Probationary Federal Workforce
2,441
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 24.52% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 34.35% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Iowa Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 1 |
| Economy & Employment | 4 |
| Education | 2 |
| Emergency Services, Public Safety & Law Enforcement | 1 |
| Energy | 5 |
| Food & Agriculture | 10 |
| Housing | 1 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 1 |
| Infrastructure | 6 |
| International Development | 4 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 6 |
| Overarching | 8 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 28 |
| Research & Academic Research | 2 |
| Social Services | 3 |
| Total | 82 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/21/25
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 1 contracts, 21 grants and 4 leases have been terminated in Iowa.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Iowa
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| NURSE | 1111 | 166 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 390 | 18 |
| MEDICAL OFFICER | 367 | 32 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 308 | 77 |
| SOIL CONSERVATION | 279 | 23 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 277 | 29 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 254 | 56 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 246 | 18 |
| SOCIAL WORK | 230 | 40 |
| BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIAN | 194 | 47 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IA | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 4130 | 692 | 4822 |
| IA | Department Of Agriculture | 1819 | 182 | 2001 |
| IA | Department Of The Army | 1068 | 176 | 1244 |
| IA | Social Security Administration | 243 | 13 | 256 |
| IA | Department Of Transportation | 205 | 34 | 239 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $8,340,098 | $2,988,354 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Polk County | 6669 |
| Johnson County | 2134 |
| Linn County | 1029 |
| Story County | 922 |
| Scott County | 882 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
In Iowa, several federally supported social programs play a crucial role in assisting residents. These programs collectively provide essential services to Iowa residents, addressing needs related to healthcare, nutrition, financial support, energy assistance, housing, and early childhood education. Examples include:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
- Head Start Program
- Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (Hawk-I)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Due to federal budget cuts in 2025, some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
“There is no one now to meet our clients at the door, there’s no one to confirm schedules, no one to help and assist with our counselors” - Anonymous