IOWA

Because it had no trees, Iowa was thought to be unable to support agriculture. It’s rather ironic, then, that Iowa is known for its corn and its caucuses. There are probably more ears of corn than there are ears on people. Iowa only has a little more than two million residents. The state ranks 30^th in population, but those few people manage to have an outsized effect on national politics, as the Iowa caucuses are the first presidential "primary" in the nation.

Though agriculture is the main sector of Iowa’s economy, corn isn’t all it produces. Another thing Iowa produces a large amount of is famous people. Johnny Carson, Ashton Kutcher, Kirk Heinrich, Herbert Hoover, Glenn Miller, eight of the nine members of Slipknot, Donna Reed, Kurt Warner, John Wayne, Elijah Wood, William Leahy, Jack Craig, Roger Johnson and Andy Williams all hail from Iowa. Unfortunately, these people don’t feed the state’s economy in the same way ethanol manufacturing does. Other sectors in Iowa’s economy include food processing, publishing and chemical manufacture. Des Moines, the state capital, is headquarters to several insurance companies and publishing houses. Principal Financial Group, Nationwide Insurance and American Republic Insurance are all located there. The Meredith Corporation, a major publishing and marketing company, employs over a 1,000 people in Des Moines.

Despite its limited economic base, Iowa has plenty to recommend it. In 2006, Forbes Magazine named Des Moines the 11^th best place in the country to have a business or start a career because of its low cost of living, highly educated populace and low crime rate. The state has a low cost of living, and it offers nearly free land and generous tax-breaks for people choosing to relocate to it. In On the Road, Jack Kerouac declared that the most beautiful women in America were in Des Moines.

Though one wouldn’t think so, Iowa has a cultured side, too. Much of it is centered around its colleges and universities. Iowa’s Drake University and Grinnell College are two of the most elite liberal arts colleges in the nation. Des Moines has a vibrant local music scene, bolstered in part by the Des Moines Music Coalition, which works to support local bands and bring in music from throughout the country and the world. Des Moines has an opera company, and there are several symphonies and orchestras throughout the state. The Grand Opera House in Dubuque hosts plays, musicals and opera on the banks of the Mississippi River.