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Big small town

Living in Boone, IA

Boone is a big small town of 12,424 people in Boone County, Iowa. It's about 13 miles from Ames, IA and 204 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 84°F and winter highs 28°F, with about 36 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $173k and rent runs about $831 a month.

12,424people
$173kTypical home
$831/moRent
84° / 28°Summer / winter
36"Snow
233Sunny days
122Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Big small town of 12,424
  • Its own small hub, not a suburb
  • About 1,359 people per sq mi
  • 204 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 13 mi to Ames, IA
  • Has its own stores and services

Money

  • Typical home $173k (≈$1,091/mo)
  • Median rent $831/mo
  • Median household income $69k
  • Property tax about 1.6% of value
  • 2.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 84°F
  • Winter highs around 28°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 62°F)
  • 233 sunny days a year (82 totally clear)
  • 132 cloudy days a year
  • 40 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 122 days a year with rain or snow
  • 36" of snow a year
  • 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 40 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (86 per 100k)
  • Very low property crime (638 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 41
  • 29% of households have kids
  • 18% are 65 or older
  • 24% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 5% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 21 min
  • 2% walk or take transit to work
  • 37 mi to DSM airport
  • 37 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 73 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 75% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1957
  • 87% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,119 ft
  • 831 mi to the ocean
  • 233 mi to a big lake
  • 23 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 4 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 4 mi to the nearest campground
  • 24 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 88 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 19 bars within 25 mi
  • 37 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • 1 music venue or club within 25 mi
  • 16 museums within 25 mi
  • 3 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 49 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 33% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • Grocery store in town
  • 3 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 15 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 10 mi to the nearest vet
  • 14 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 10 congregations per 10k people
  • 12 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Boone County: R+22 in 2024
  • Iowa: R+13 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Moderate flood risk
  • Low drought risk
  • High winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Boone

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