You might think that the whole hippie movement has faded away, but the truth is, there are plenty of hippies out there in Iowa.
While they aren’t necessarily in your face all the time with war protests, and the next Woodstock isn’t being planned any time soon, we thought it would be fun to look at which cities in the Hawkeye State where the most hippies would live.
And, after crunching the data, you know what? It was spot on.
How do you decide where the most hippies live? By the number of yoga studios, organic markets, and most importantly, where the liberals live in droves.
Using those criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where hippies might live in Iowa, and then put out a list.
So, put on your tie-dye shirt and sandals as you go through this list with us.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Cities In Iowa With The Largest Hispanic Population For 2024
What’s the hippiest city in Iowa? The hippiest city in Iowa is Coralville.
Read on below to see where your town ranked, Young Flower Child.
/10
Population: 19,677
% Liberal: 66.7%
More on Coralville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,794
% Liberal: 55.5%
More on Nevada: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,246
% Liberal: 56.1%
More on Clive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,109
% Liberal: 57.9%
More on Hiawatha: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 9,037
% Liberal: 56.1%
More on Grimes: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,058
% Liberal: 56.4%
More on Decorah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 9,615
% Liberal: 56.2%
More on Fairfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 9,011
% Liberal: 56.1%
More on Pleasant Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,908
% Liberal: 56.1%
More on Eldridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 18,874
% Liberal: 56.1%
More on Johnston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the most beatnik city in Iowa
In order to rank the best cities for hippies in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science to determine what criteria defines a hippie.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the Google Places API, the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, and Voter Registration data, this is the criteria we used:
- Number of yoga studios per capita
- Number of organic markets per capita
- Number of pet adoption centers per capita
- Number of vegan restaurants per capita
- Number of thrift stores per capita
- Each city’s liberal voting population
For the sake of getting reliable numbers on places, we counted any place within a ~4.5 mile radius of a city’s center. The average city in the United States is about 18 square miles.
All of these results are listed in a per capita basis, meaning number of stores per person in a city. Additionally, we limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 76 in each category, where 1 was the most hippie.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a hippie index.
And finally, we crowned the city with the highest hippie index the “Best City for Hippies In Iowa.” We’re looking at you, Coralville.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in hippie central. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from hippiest to most square.
Summary: The Hippies Of Iowa
If you’re measuring the locations in Iowa where there are lots of liberals, and there are many options for vegan food, yoga and thrift stores, this is an accurate list.
The most hippie cities in Iowa are Coralville, Nevada, Clive, Hiawatha, Grimes, Decorah, Fairfield, Pleasant Hill, Eldridge, and Johnston.
If you’re curious, here are the most square places in Iowa:
- Le Mars
- Knoxville
- Mount Pleasant
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
Detailed List Of The Most Hippie Cities In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coralville | 19,677 | 66.7% |
| 2 | Nevada | 6,794 | 55.5% |
| 3 | Clive | 16,246 | 56.1% |
| 4 | Hiawatha | 7,109 | 57.9% |
| 5 | Grimes | 9,037 | 56.1% |
| 6 | Decorah | 8,058 | 56.4% |
| 7 | Fairfield | 9,615 | 56.2% |
| 8 | Pleasant Hill | 9,011 | 56.1% |
| 9 | Eldridge | 5,908 | 56.1% |
| 10 | Johnston | 18,874 | 56.1% |
| 11 | North Liberty | 14,503 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Nevada | 6,794 | 55.5% |
| 13 | Urbandale | 41,157 | 56.1% |
| 14 | Waukee | 15,944 | 43.5% |
| 15 | Bettendorf | 34,247 | 56.1% |
| 16 | Clear Lake | 7,718 | 55.9% |
| 17 | Grinnell | 9,136 | 53.7% |
| 18 | Marion | 35,809 | 57.9% |
| 19 | Maquoketa | 6,064 | 57.7% |
| 20 | Vinton | 5,211 | 48.9% |
| 21 | Harlan | 5,047 | 38.1% |
| 22 | Anamosa | 5,526 | 53.0% |
| 23 | Algona | 5,513 | 43.1% |
| 24 | Dubuque | 58,068 | 56.5% |
| 25 | Carroll | 10,051 | 46.4% |
| 26 | West Des Moines | 59,815 | 56.1% |
| 27 | Knoxville | 7,257 | 42.4% |
| 28 | Independence | 5,955 | 56.1% |
| 29 | Waterloo | 68,392 | 59.3% |
| 30 | Clinton | 26,611 | 60.6% |
| 31 | Denison | 8,370 | 45.4% |
| 32 | Cedar Falls | 40,009 | 59.3% |
| 33 | Atlantic | 6,983 | 39.7% |
| 34 | Burlington | 25,559 | 58.3% |
| 35 | Cedar Rapids | 128,009 | 57.9% |
| 36 | Altoona | 15,317 | 56.1% |
| 37 | Ames | 61,276 | 55.5% |
| 38 | Keokuk | 10,742 | 56.7% |
| 39 | Sioux Center | 7,218 | 15.6% |
| 40 | Fort Dodge | 24,846 | 52.1% |
| 41 | Fort Madison | 10,929 | 56.7% |
| 42 | Storm Lake | 10,743 | 44.1% |
| 43 | Boone | 12,619 | 52.2% |
| 44 | Council Bluffs | 62,261 | 46.4% |
| 45 | Ankeny | 49,488 | 56.1% |
| 46 | Oskaloosa | 11,555 | 38.7% |
| 47 | Waverly | 9,998 | 50.7% |
| 48 | Winterset | 5,165 | 42.9% |
| 49 | Davenport | 101,316 | 56.1% |
| 50 | Washington | 7,315 | 46.5% |
| 51 | Iowa Falls | 5,193 | 45.8% |
| 52 | Perry | 7,986 | 43.5% |
| 53 | Oelwein | 6,321 | 55.3% |
| 54 | Manchester | 5,126 | 49.2% |
| 55 | Cherokee | 5,203 | 41.1% |
| 56 | Pella | 10,343 | 42.4% |
| 57 | Creston | 7,846 | 51.1% |
| 58 | Estherville | 6,177 | 44.8% |
| 59 | Spencer | 11,177 | 39.8% |
| 60 | Des Moines | 206,702 | 56.1% |
| 61 | Muscatine | 23,857 | 57.0% |
| 62 | Norwalk | 9,444 | 48.1% |
| 63 | De Witt | 5,297 | 60.6% |
| 64 | Newton | 15,139 | 52.6% |
| 65 | Sheldon | 5,047 | 26.8% |
| 66 | Indianola | 15,014 | 48.1% |
| 67 | Centerville | 5,480 | 47.2% |
| 68 | Glenwood | 5,253 | 39.5% |
| 69 | Clarinda | 5,490 | 36.9% |
| 70 | Shenandoah | 5,079 | 36.9% |
| 71 | Marshalltown | 27,749 | 53.8% |
| 72 | Red Oak | 5,644 | 38.2% |
| 73 | Ottumwa | 24,847 | 54.9% |
| 74 | Mount Pleasant | 8,682 | 46.0% |
| 75 | Knoxville | 7,257 | 42.4% |
| 76 | Le Mars | 9,783 | 32.1% |