The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelyhood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different race or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
| Name | County | Diversity Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | City of Lakeside | Buena Vista | 84.3 |
| 2. | City of Storm Lake | Buena Vista | 80.8 |
| 3. | City of Denison | Crawford | 79.5 |
| 4. | City of Perry | Dallas | 77.7 |
| 5. | City of West Liberty | Muscatine | 76.1 |
| 6. | City of Tama | Tama | 75.3 |
| 7. | City of Columbus Junction | Louisa | 75.0 |
| 8. | City of Postville | Allamakee | 70.1 |
| 9. | City of Columbus City | Louisa | 66.8 |
| 10. | City of Fredonia | Louisa | 65.3 |
| 11. | City of Marshalltown | Marshall | 64.9 |
| 12. | City of Toledo | Tama | 64.3 |
| 13. | City of Sioux City | Woodbury | 63.1 |
| 14. | City of Des Moines | Polk | 60.8 |
| 15. | City of Hawarden | Sioux | 58.6 |
| 16. | City of Montour | Tama | 57.7 |
| 17. | City of Chelsea | Tama | 56.6 |
| 18. | City of Conesville | Muscatine | 55.0 |
| 19. | City of Lenox | Taylor | 54.5 |
| 20. | City of Osceola | Clarke | 54.5 |
