By Andrew Brink, Sean J. Miller and Michael Swanger

People love lists. They speak to our hurried society, our competitive nature and our desire to get to the point fast. From David Letterman’s “Top 10 List” to Forbes’ ranking of “The World’s Richest People,” lists are everywhere.

Last year, we introduced our first annual Records and Rankings. The idea was to provide readers with unadulterated, factual information. The same goal holds true in our second year. From state demographics to information about which intersection is the most dangerous for drivers, readers can learn a lot about their community in a short period of time. Kick back, give it a read and cross it off your list of things to do today.

The basis for discrimination in credit, employment and education cases reported to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in 2005-06

Sex: 559
Retaliation: 534
Race: 508
Disability: 506
Age: 397
Color: 249
National Origin: 142
Religion: 47
Creed: 14
Marital Status: 142

The basis for discrimination in housing cases reported to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in 2005-06

Race: 32
Disability: 26
Sex: 11
National Origin: 8
Retaliation: 7
Color: 2
Religion: 2
Familial Status: 1
Creed: 0
Pregnancy: 0

(Source: The Iowa Civil Rights Commission Annual Reports, FY’s 2004, 2005, 2006. Note: The Commission will begin tracking discrimination based on sexual orientation on July 1.)

Ten of the top 2006 salaries in the Iowa Department of Corrections

1) Gary Maynard, Director of the Department of Corrections, $131,048.16
2) Gerald Brent Burt, Warden, Anamosa State Penitentiary, $120,039.19
3) Lowell Dean Brandt, Warden, Iowa Medical and Classification Center, $120,576
4) Steven Michael Cook, Physician, Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, $119,054.40
5) Jeanette Bucklew, Deputy Director of Offender Services, $117,235.20
6) John F. Ault II, Warden, Iowa State Penitentiary, Ford Madison, $116,666.25
7) Kenneth Burger, Warden, Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility, $115,760
8) James L. McKinney, Warden, North Central Correctional Facility, $111,881.60
9) Frank J. Filippelli, Physician, $108,185.60
10) Michael V. Savala, Public Service Executive, $106,736

(Source: The Iowa Legislative Services Agency)

Iowa’s 20 Most Purchased Spirits, by cases, as of April 2007

1) Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, 26,719 cases
2) Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, 22,968 cases
3) Hawkeye Vodka, 19,194 cases
4) Five O’Clock Vodka, 11,191 cases
5) Jack Daniels Black Label Tennessee Whiskey, 11,002 cases
6) Bacardi White Rum, 9,925 cases
7) Barton Vodka, 8,586 cases
8) Jagermeister, 8,387 cases
9) Smirnoff Vodka, 8,119 cases
10) Seagram 7 Blended Whiskey, 7,201 cases
11) Seagram Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey, 6,867 cases
12) McCormick Vodka, 6,836 cases
13) Cuervo Especial Gold Tequila, 6,738 cases
14) Cuervo Lime Tequila, 6,727 cases
15) Phillips Vodka, 6,464 cases
16) Paramount White Rum, 6,307 cases
17) Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey, 6002 cases
18) Southern Comfort, 5,806 cases
19) Canadian LTD Whiskey, 5,465 cases
20) Popov Vodka, 5,124 cases

(Source: Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division)

Ten Most Common Crimes Reported to the Polk County Sheriff in 2005

Vandalism of property, 552
Larceny, 368
Simple assault, 355
Burglary, 259
Intimidation, 227
Theft from motor vehicle, 222
Drug, narcotic violation, 205
Motor vehicle theft, 154
Drug equipment violation, 130
Theft from building, 96

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety)

Ten Most Common Crimes Reported to the Des Moines Police Department in 2005

Larceny, 5,350
Vandalism of property, 4,274
Simple assault, 3,392
Burglary, 2,623
Theft from motor vehicle, 2,006
Shoplifting, 1,223
Theft of motor vehicle part, 1,195
Intimidation, 1,151
Drug, narcotic violation, 1,114
Drug equipment violation, 607

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety)

Circumstances for Homicides in Iowa (2005)

Domestic, 34.2 percent
Drugs/ drive-by, 21.1 percent
Argument, 18.4 percent
Child abuse, 15.8 percent
Unknown, 5.3 percent
Other, 5.3 percent

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety)
Weapons used in homicides in Iowa (2005)

Handgun: 10 (26.3 percent)
Hands, fist, feet: 8 (21.1 percent)
Cutting instrument: 6 (15.8 percent)
Unidentified firearm: 5 (13.2 percent)
Blunt object: 3 (7.9 percent)
Shotgun: 2 (5.3 percent)
Other/ unknown: 2 (5.3 percent)
Rifle: 1 (2.6 percent)
Arson: 1 (2.6 percent)

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety)

Top vehicle crash locations in Des Moines in 2006

1) S.E. 14th Street & E. Park Avenue, 18 crashes
2) 19th Street and Westbound I–235 off ramp, 18 crashes
3) E. 14th Street and 1-235 Eastbound off ramp, 16 crashes
4) E. 14th Street and E. Euclid Avenue, 16 crashes
5) Merle Hay Road and Urbandale Avenue, 15 crashes
6) 6th Avenue and University Avenue, 15 crashes
7) S.E. 14th Street and Army Post Road, 15 crashes
8) 6th and Euclid Avenues, 15 crashes
9) E. 15th Street and I-235 Westbound off ramp, 14 crashes
10) 19th Street and University Avenue, 13 crashes

(Source: Des Moines Traffic Safety Committee)

Des Moines Intersections Averaging the Most Crashes Between 2001-05

1) 6th Avenue and Grand Avenue, 26 crashes per year
2) US 69 and S.E. 14th Street and E. Park Avenue, 20 crashes per year
3) N.W. Meredith Drive and Frontage Road (east side), 20 crashes per year
4) 7th and High Streets, 20 crashes per year
5) Iowa 163/E. University Avenue and E. 30th Street, 18 crashes per year
6) US 69/E. 14th Street and Hull Avenue, 17 crashes per year
7) US 6/Hickman Road and US 6/Merle Hay Road and Merklin Way, 17 crashes per year
8) US 69/S.E. 14th Street and Indianola Drive, 17 crashes per year
9) US 69/S.E. 14th Street and Maury Street, 16 crashes per year
10) US 69/E. 14th Street and IA 163/E. University Avenue and US 69 Johnson Circle, 15 crashes per year

(Source: Des Moines Traffic Safety Committee)

Top 10 service calls of 2005 to Polk County Sheriff’s Patrol Division

1) Outside warrants
2) Traffic accidents — damage
3) Thefts
4) Vandalism
5) Assault/domestic assaults
6) Burglaries
7) Traffic accidents — injury
8) Stolen vehicles
9) Sex abuse cases
10) Missing persons

(Source: Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

20 of the Top Paid State Employees (Residing in Polk County)

1) Julia Goodin
Dept. of Public Health
State Medical Examiner
$230,644.80

2) Edward Stanek II
Iowa Lottery
Chief Executive
$221,133.20

3) Larry Beaty
University of Iowa
Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine
$216,711.14

4) Stephen Stefani
University of Iowa College of Medicine
Associate
$210,313.47

5) Melissa Bruhl
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Medical Director
$196,834.96

6) Patricia Quinlisk
Dept. of Public Health,
Physician
$189,510.32

7) Richard Spoth,
Iowa State University, Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute
Director
$178,873

8) Ann Archibald
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Physician
$177,962.96

9) Robert Pucelik
Dept. of Human Services
Physician
$175,323.20

10) Anthony Alford
Iowa State University
Assistant Football Coach
$173,333.33

11) Jack Ketterer
Racing and Gaming Commission
Administrator
$172,341.74

12) Dennis Klein
Dept. of Public Health
Physician
$172,289.60

13) Mark Engelbrecht
Iowa State University
Dean of the College of Design
$163,386

14) Bret Alan McFarlin
University of Iowa
Associate
$157,579.64

15) Gary Wells
Iowa State University
Distinguished Professor of Psychology
$156,679.60

16) John Gillispie
Iowa Communications Network
Executive Director
$156,248.84

17) Lawrence Staples
Dept. of Education
Consultant
$148,074.80

18) Cynthia Eisenhauer
Governor’s Office
Assistant to the governor
$145,530.80

19) Richard Kinseth
Dept. of Public Safety
Major
$133.250.97

20) Kevin Winker
Dept. of Public Safety
Special Agent in Charge
$128,468.42

Other notables:

Eugene Meyer
Dept. of Public Safety
Commissioner
$114,627.90

Donna Mueller
IPERS
CEO
$143,716.80

Michael Fitzgerald
State Treasurer
$103,212

Thomas Miller
Attorney General
$122,967.50

Ralph Rosenberg
Civil Rights Commission
Director
$86,600.28

(Source: The Iowa Legislative Services Agency)

The 10 Best Selling Vehicles in Iowa in 2006 Based on Vehicle Registrations (retail only)

Chevrolet Silverado, 8,830
Ford F-150, 5,101
Dodge Ram, 3,248
Toyota Camry, 3,173
Chrysler Town and Country, 2,356
Chevrolet Impala, 2,331
Buick Lucerne, 2,092
Dodge Grand Caravan, 2,029
Toyota Corolla, 1,909
GMC Sierra, 1,725

(Source: Reg-Track Data of Waterloo, Wis.)

Top Contributors to Chet Culver’s 2006
campaign for governor

Democratic Governors’ Association
Washington, DC
$85,000

Gerald Kirke
West Des Moines
$50,000

Association of General Contractors of Iowa PAC
Des Moines
$25,000

James Cownie
Des Moines
$25,000

Pat Sarma
Montclair, N.J.
$25,000

Kyle Krause
West Des Moines
$25,000

William Van Orsde
West Des Moines
$25,000

William Knapp
West Des Moines
$25,000

Robert Kehl
Fulton, Ill.
$20,000

Iowa Dental Association PAC
Johnston
$15,000

Craig Neilsen
Las Vegas, Nev.
$15,000

United Auto Workers V CAP
Detroit, Mich.
$15,000

Carpenters’ Legislative Improvement Committee
Washington, DC
$10,000

John Pappajohn
Des Moines
$10,000

Justice for All PAC
Des Moines
$5,000

(Source: Gov. Culver’s January 2007 IECDB Campaign Disclosure Report)

Arrests Made by Iowa’s Law Enforcement Agencies in 2005

Total arrests made in Iowa in 2005:
122,665

Arrests by race:
White, 83.1 percent
African American, 13.9 percent
Native American, 1.5 percent
Asian, 0.7 percent
Unknown, 0.8 percent

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Safety, www.dps.state.ia.us.)

Average Total Salaries for Full-Time Teachers in Central Iowa in 2004:

Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, $39,167.60
Ankeny, $44,476.28
Bondurant-Farrar, $37,960.71
Dallas Center-Grimes, $38,609.09
Des Moines Independent, $44,733.89
Earlham, $32,563.65
Indianola, $44,003.76
Interstate 35, $33,233.49
Johnston, $40,888.49
Martensdale-St.Marys, $31,576.69
North Polk, $37,836.49
Orient-Macksburg, $31,028.66
Saydel, $37,759.26
Southeast Polk, $43,505.30
Southeast Warren, $35,315.04
Urbandale, $41,411.52
Van Meter, $36,136.03
Waukee, $37,661.09
West Central Valley, $34,064.35
West Des Moines, $45,793.07
Winterset, $38,956.54
Woodward-Granger, $36,756.94

(Source: Iowa Department of Education, www.iowa.gov/educate.)

New Iowans by the Numbers:

87,586
The number of new Iowans in 2005. This represents 3.1 percent of Iowa’s household population in 2005.

91.9 percent
The percentage of all new Iowans who moved from another state between 2004 and 2005.

8.1 percent
The percent of all new Iowans who moved from abroad between 2004 and 2005.

354
The number of refugee arrivals in Iowa in 2005. Of that number, 46 percent were from Sudan.

3,884
The number of refugee arrivals in Iowa since 2000. The largest group was from Bosnia, who made up 51.3 percent of refugees during that time.

234
The number of naturalizations in 2005 for Iowa.

41.5 percent
The percent of naturalizations in Iowa whose country of birth was Mexico.

(Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, www.uscis.gov.)

Top 10 Complaints Made to the Des Moines Better Business Bureau (between April 30, 2006 and April 30, 2007):

1) Magazine Fulfillment Services (547)
Des Moines is home to the greatest number of subscription services in the nation.
2) Mortgages (327)
Complaints regarding financing fees and escrow issues.
3) Financing (293)
Complaints regarding payments on loans.
4) Insurance-Homeowners (281)
5) Banks (270)
Complaints regarding ATM charges, monthly service fees and other charges that surprise consumers.
6) Computers (156)
Complaints regarding system designers and consultants.
7) Financial Services (151)
Complaints against large finance companies that offer credit cards, financing, etc.
8) Manufacturers and Producers (102)
Complaints regarding product reliability.
9) Auto Dealers-New Cars (94)
Complaints regarding warranty issues, sales issues and promotional schemes.
10) Mail order and catalog shopping (94)

(Source: Better Business Bureau serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland region, www.desmoines.bbb.org.)

Central Iowa High School Graduation Rates for the Class of 2006:

Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, 94.6 percent
Ankeny, 98.4 percent
Bondurant-Farrar, 95.8 percent
Dallas Center-Grimes, 98.2 percent
Des Moines Independent, 84 percent
Earlham, 94.8 percent
Indianola, 96.6 percent
Interstate 35, 96.4 percent
Johnston, 99.4 percent
Martensdale-St.Marys, 100 percent
North Polk, 100 percent
Orient-Macksburg, 100 percent
Saydel, 100 percent
Southeast Polk, 96.6 percent
Southeast Warren, 96.2 percent
Urbandale, 97.2 percent
Van Meter, 100 percent
Waukee, 95.6 percent
West Central Valley, 98.6 percent
West Des Moines, 93 percent
Winterset, 95.8 percent
Woodward-Granger, 100 percent

(Source: Iowa Department of Education, www.iowa.gov/educate.)

Iowa Prison Industries

Iowa Prison Industries (IPI) is a branch of the Iowa Department of Corrections and consists of manufacturing, farming and private sector work programs. More than 700 offenders are employed daily by IPI.

Top 5 customers of IPI in 2005-2006:
University of Iowa: $839,293
Des Moines Public Schools: $596,140
Iowa State University: $489,105
Iowa City Community Schools: $489,037
Minncor Industries: $176,356

Amount of local raw materials purchased by IPI in 2006:
$16.3 million

IPI plant location and top selling items in 2006:
Anamosa, license plates ($1,187, 205 in sales)
Fort Madison, furniture ($1,784, 452 in sales)
Mitchellville, panels and seating ($1,372,493 in sales)

(Source: Iowa Department of Corrections, www.doc.state.ia.us.)

Iowa’s 10 Leading Causes of Death in 2005:

1) Disease of the heart (7,425 deaths)
2) Cancer (6,444 deaths)
3) Stroke (1,899 deaths)
4) Chronic lower respiratory diseases (1,702 deaths)
5) Unintentional injuries (1,199 deaths)
6) Alzheimer disease (1,080 deaths)
7) Influenza and pneumonia (893 deaths)
8) Diabetes mellitus (722 deaths)
9) All infective and parasitic disease
(358 deaths)
10) Other diseases of the circulatory
system (337)

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Health, www.idph.state.ia.us.)

General Facts about Iowa:

National rankings:
1st in pork production
1St in corn production
1st in egg production
2nd in soybean production
2nd in red meat production
30th in population

Business and industry

Total Gross Domestic Product in 2005 (in millions): $113,552

Top five industries (in millions):
• Manufacturing, $24,710
• Services, $20,293
• Finance and insurance, $11,234
• Government, $13,503
• Retail trade, $7,156

Top commodity exports in 2005 (in millions):
• Tractors, $642
• Meat of swine, frozen or fresh, $212 
• Corn (except seed corn), $212

Top destinations of exports (in millions):
• Canada, $2,556
• Mexico, $1,027
• Japan, $671

General demographic characteristics
• 2000 population, 2,926,324.
• 2006 population estimate 2,982,085, a 1.9 percent increase
• 446,665 people are disabled
• Mean travel time to work is 18.5 minutes
• Iowa has more than 1.3 million homes
• As of 2000, the homeownership rate is 72.3 percent
• The 2000 median value of owner-occupied housing units is $82,500
• The 2004 median household income is $42,865
• Land area is 55,869 square miles
• Persons per square mile is 52.4

Sex and age (in 2005):
• Male, 49.2 percent         
• Female, 50.8 percent
• Population under 5 years, 6.4 percent
• Population 18 years and over, 76.7 percent
• Population 65 years and over, 14.0 percent
• Population 85 years and over, 1.7 percent
• Median age (years), 38.6

Race and Hispanic or Latino (in 2005):
• White alone, 94.5 percent
• Black or African American alone, 2.7 percent
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.6 percent
• Asian alone, 1.6 percent
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 0.04 percent
• Two or more races, 1.1 percent
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 3.7 percent
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, 91.6 percent

Educational attainment (in 2005):
• High school graduate or higher, 89.6 percent
• Bachelor’s degree or higher, 23.8 percent

Language spoken at home (in 2005):
• English only, 93.8 percent
• Spanish, 3.4 percent
• Asian, 0.9 percent
Ancestry:
• German, 40.9 percent
• Irish, 16 percent
• Other, 43.2 percent

Economic characteristics
Income (in 2005):
• Median household income, $43,609
• Median family income, $54,971
• Per capita income, $23,340

Individual poverty status (in 2005):
• Individuals below poverty level,
10.9 percent
• Related children under 18 years below poverty level, 13.6 percent
• Individuals 65 years and over below poverty level, 7.9 percent
Family poverty status (in 2005)
• Families below poverty level, 7.5 percent
• Families with female householder, no husband present, with related children under 18 years living below the poverty level, 35.4 percent

(Source: State Data Center of Iowa, www.iowadatacenter.org.)

A few facts about Greater Des Moines:

• Population is 504,292. It’s expected to climb to 539,239 in 2008.
• 290,292 of those people live in Polk County
• Median age is 38
• 90.3 percent of the population is white
• Per capita income is $24,742
• Average household income is $62,645
• Median household income is $49,445
• 61,400 residents work in trade and transportation
• 36,700 citizens work for the government
• As of 2003, the median existing single-family home sales price is $133,900
• As of 2003, the average apartment rent is $444 for an efficiency, $551 for a 1-bedroom, $638 for a 2-bedroom and $858 for a 3-bedroom
• As of 2003, the annual average unemployment rate is 3.9 percent

(Source: City of Des Moines)

Most Popular Breeds of Dog Adopted Through the Animal Rescue League in 2006

Labrador retriever
German shepherd
Terrier (variety of breeds)
Beagle
Rottweiler
Siberian husky
Chow chow
Golden retriever
Boxer
German shorthaired pointer

(Source: Animal Rescue League)

Top 10 Baby Names of Iowans in 2006

Girls

Emma
Ava
Olivia
Madison
Hannah
Addison
Abigail
Grace
Emily
Elizabeth

Boys

Ethan
Jacob
Noah
Logan
Andrew
Carter
William
Jackson
Owen
Tyler

Top 10 Best Selling Albums of 2006

“High School Musical,” soundtrack
“Me and My Gang,” Rascal Flatts
“Some Hearts,” Carrie Underwood
“All the Right Reasons,” Nickelback
“FutureSex/LoveSounds,” Justin Timberlake
“Back to Bedlam,” James Blunt
“B’Day,” Beyonce
“Hannah Montana,” soundtrack
“Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks
“Extreme Behavior,” Hinder

(Source: Pollstar)

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