We are not normal.

That was the message that James Chung, president of Reach Advisors, delivered at the second annual Greater Des Moines Regional Summit last month.

James should know. He has done a deep data dive on our region multiple times – first in 2018, again in 2020, and now in 2025.

He has confirmed through data what so many of us who live and work here know: There is something special happening in Greater Des Moines. When you look at peer regions, we are growing at a much larger rate than should be expected.

James’ data shows that our population growth since 2000 has significantly outpaced that of both comparison regions (population 500,000- 1 million) and larger regions (1 million-plus population) throughout the Midwest, as has our gross domestic product growth. “I am guessing most people in Greater Des Moines think that this is sort of normal,” James said. “And what’s happening in the Greater Des Moines region is not normal.”

All this growth has our combined statistical area (CSA) at a population of 940,000 and closing in on 1 million. This is an important number in terms of our ability to attract economic development projects.

Greater Des Moines has a special combination of factors that have helped us supercharge our growth, according to James’ research. Those factors include a dynamic labor force that has the capacity to serve powerhouse businesses, outsized regional capital investment, high beta recovery and growth (the ability to grow faster than average during good economic times) and a social dynamic that is stronger than comparison regions.

On that final point: We consistently hear from peers across the country who want to know how we do it. I have no problem telling them because I know that no one else is going to be able to do exactly what we’ve done.

They don’t have the people that we have. The people who are leading our companies, who are serving as elected officials in our communities, who are volunteering their time and giving their money to plan for the future and then act on those plans.

We are successful because we have the people who are willing to work together in a way that nobody else does – across sectors, across jurisdictional boundaries, across the aisle. The data James shared with us essentially proves that to be true.

Remaining committed to regional collaboration is going to take us to 1 million in population. The only question is, how soon? James did lay out some challenges, however. In recent years, there have been signs of our growth leveling off. It’s too soon to know whether this is a blip or a long-term trend. What we do know is we have the ability to help shape the results.

James noted that only a select few regions are able to take a 20- to 25-year run of growth like we are on and turn it into a 30- to 50-year run. We can do this by leaning into our strengths, including: continuing to attract high-skilled people (particularly high-skilled couples); continuing to invest in our community even in challenging economic times; and continuing to collaborate as one region.

The choice is ours. As we continue to analyze the data and calls to action, I am confident we will collectively make the decisions that lead to growth. It’s what our region does.

As James Chung said: “Don’t settle. Don’t accept a reversion to the mean. There’s no need to be average. … Recognize it, own it, fight for it.”

Let’s not be normal. Let’s be extraordinary.