Iowa, bordered by the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, is home to approximately 2.9 million people. While Iowa has a well-earned reputation as being one of the nation’s leading agricultural states, it has also become a leader in a wide variety of other industries, including manufacturing, financial services, food processing, telecommunications and advanced technology.

Iowa offers its residents a high quality of life. The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Iowa the fifth best state for children and families. The foundation’s annual Kids Count Data Book measures educational, social, economic and the physical well-being of children state-by-state. The "Most Livable State Award," which is the most prominent ranking of states on quality of life factors, ranked Iowa second in 2002. One aspect of Iowa’s high quality of life is its excellent educational system. Year after year, Iowa ranks in the top three in the nation in average SAT and ACT composite scores. Iowa is the home to three major public universities and numerous, highly-regarded private colleges and universities.

Iowa’s expanding and diversifying economy has attracted thousands of new residents, particularly in the population centers of central and eastern Iowa. The Cedar Rapids – Iowa City area, home to the offices of Simmons Perrine PLC, has experienced a 17% population growth since the 1990 census. In May 2003, Forbes magazine ranked Iowa City second and Cedar Rapids eighth among 168 smaller metro areas in the magazine's "Best Places for Business and Careers Survey."