Introduction




African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos constitute 3.8% of Iowa's population but represent only 1.7% of Iowa's homeowners.

As the state agency charged with eliminating discrimination in Iowa, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) is duty-bound to investigate the racial disparity in Iowa home ownership and determine whether that disparity is the result of discrimination.

In 1995, the ICRC received an 18-month grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to study mortgage lending practices in Iowa's eight largest communities.

The ICRC completed the study in six stages. In stage one, the ICRC analyzed Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data and calculated minority/white rejection ratios and minority market shares for each lender in each of the eight communities. In stage two, the ICRC conducted more than one hundred interviews of lending institutions, advocacy groups/city officials, regulatory agencies, real estate representatives, insurance agencies, and appraisal companies. In stage three, the ICRC conducted on-site race and national origin, pre-application tests of mortgage lenders. In stage four, the ICRC surveyed mortgage lenders to determine workforce composition and to check on certain lending procedures. In stage five, the ICRC reviewed and compared loan application files of minority and white applicants. And in stage six, the ICRC calculated community-specific segregation indices.

This report summarizes the information gained from the study. Public meetings will be held in each of the eight communities to review and discuss the information gained.


 

POPULATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP RATES

STATEWIDE

State Population %Minority* Homeowners %Minority*
Iowa 2,776,755 3.784% 745,377 1.722%

*African American (AA), Asian American (AsA), and Latino

 

 

 

POPULATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP RATES

COMMUNITY

City Population %Minority* Homeowners %Minority*
Cedar Rapids 108,751 4.938% 29,346 2.344%
Council Bluffs 54,315 3.599% 22,226 1.674%
Davenport 95,333 12.270% 38,115 3.998%
Des Moines 193,187 11.751% 48,660 6.716%
Dubuque 57,546 1.852% 14,172 0.593%
Iowa City 59,738 9.746% 9,823 3.400%
Sioux City 80,505 6.952% 20,437 2.535%
Waterloo/Cedar Falls 100,765 10.057% 25,136 5.972%

*African American, Asian American, and Latino

 

 

 

POPULATION

 

City

Population

White

%

African American

%

Asian

%

Hispanic

%
 %AA,A,H
Cedar Rapids

108751

103884

95.525%

3127

2.875%

1067

0.981%

1243

1.143%

4.999%
Council Bluffs

54315

53118

97.796%

434

0.799%

226

0.416%

1313

2.417%

3.633%
Davenport

95333

84968

89.128%

7521

7.889%

1000

1.049%

3300

3.462%

12.400%
Des Moines

193187

172417

89.249%

13741

7.113%

4602

2.382%

4629

2.396%

11.891%
Dubuque

57546

56626

98.401%

331

0.575%

368

0.639%

370

0.643%

1.858%
Iowa City

59738

54410

91.081%

1516

2.538%

3341

5.593%

1018

1.704%

9.835%
Sioux City

80505

74525

92.572%

1848

2.296%

1195

1.484%

2624

3.259%

7.039%
Waterloo/ Cedar Falls

100765

90822

90.132%

8453

8.389%

934

0.927%

789

0.783%

10.099%

 

 

HOME OWNERSHIP RATES


City

Homeowners

White

%

African American

%

Asian

%

Hispanic

%
 % AA,A,H
Cedar Rapids

29346

28775

98.054%

386

1.315%

117

0.399%

185

0.630%

2.344%
Council Bluffs

22226

22007

99.015%

68

0.306%

38

0.171%

266

1.197%

1.674%
Davenport

38115

36909

96.836%

812

2.130%

138

0.362%

574

1.506%

3.998%
Des Moines

48660

45708

93.933%

2100

4.316%

489

1.005%

679

1.395%

6.716%
Dubuque

14172

14117

99.612%

15

0.106%

21

0.148%

48

0.339%

0.593%
Iowa City

9823

9550

97.221%

81

0.825%

166

1.690%

87

0.886%

3.400%
Sioux City

20437

19969

97.710%

175

0.856%

111

0.543%

232

1.135%

2.535%
Waterloo Cedar Falls

25136

23669

94.164%

1285

5.112%

110

0.438%

106

0.422%

5.972%

 

 

 

POPULATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP RATES

AFRICAN AMERICAN


City Population %AA Homeowners %AA
Cedar Rapids 108,751 2.875% 29,346 1.315%
Council Bluffs 54,315 0.799% 22,226 0.306%
Davenport 95,333 7.889% 38,115 2.130%
Des Moines 193,187 7.113% 48,660 4.316%
Dubuque 57,546 0.575% 14,172 0.106%
Iowa City 59,738 2.538% 9,823 0.825%
Sioux City 80,505 2.296% 20,437 0.856%
Waterloo/Cedar Falls 100,765 8.389% 25,136 5.112%

 

 

 

POPULATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP RATES

ASIAN AMERICAN


City Population %AA Homeowners %AA
Cedar Rapids 108,751 0.981% 29,346 0.399%
Council Bluffs 54,315 0.416% 22,226 0.171%
Davenport 95,333 1.049% 38,115 0.362%
Des Moines 193,187 2.382% 48,660 1.005%
Dubuque 57,546 0.639% 14,172 0.148%
Iowa City 59,738 5.593% 9,823 1.690%
Sioux City 80,505 1.484% 20,437 0.543%
Waterloo/Cedar Falls 100,765 0.927% 25,136 0.438%

 

 

 

POPULATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP RATES

LATINO

City Population %AA Homeowners %AA
Cedar Rapids 108,751 1.081% 29,346 0.630%
Council Bluffs 54,315 2.384% 22,226 1.197%
Davenport 95,333 3.331% 38,115 1.506%
Des Moines 193,187 2.256% 48,660 1.395%
Dubuque 57,546 0.638% 14,172 0.593%
Iowa City 59,738 1.615% 9,823 0.886%
Sioux City 80,505 3.172% 20,437 1.135%
Waterloo/Cedar Falls 100,765 0.741% 25,136 0.422%

 

Sources : U.S. Census Bureau Web Site

http://venus.census.gov/cdrom/lookup

 

State Data Center

1990 US Census

Lending report main page