IntelliMoveTake the quiz →Living in Country around Alden, IA
Country around Alden is a rural area of about 1,437 people in Hardin County, Iowa, named for the post office its ZIP code uses. It's about 35 miles from Ames, IA and 170 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 83°F and winter highs 26°F, with about 28 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $121k and rent runs about $632 a month.
1,437people
$121kTypical home
$632/moRent
83° / 26°Summer / winter
28"Snow
233Sunny days
84Rain/snow days
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Size & setting
- Rural — about 1,437 people spread over the area
- A standalone small town, not a suburb
- About 12 people per sq mi
- 170 mi to Minneapolis, MN
- 35 mi to Ames, IA
- 35 mi to the nearest town of 10k+
Money
- Typical home $121k (≈$764/mo)
- Median rent $632/mo
- Median household income $70k
- Property tax about 1.2% of value
- 2.0% unemployment
Weather
- Summer highs around 83°F
- Winter highs around 26°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
- 84 days a year with rain or snow
- 28" of snow a year
- 10 days a year with 1"+ of snow
- Rarely hits 100°F
- 45 nights a year below 10°F
- Windier than most places
Safety
- About average violent crime (367 per 100k), county-wide
- Very low property crime (649 per 100k), county-wide
People
- Median age 43
- 29% of households have kids
- 21% are 65 or older
- 20% have a college degree
- Not very diverse
- 3% of residents are college students
Getting around & homes
- Average commute 21 min
- 1% walk or take transit to work
- 40 mi to FOD airport
- 69 mi to DSM (major hub)
- 112 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
- 86% single-family homes
- Typical home built around 1958
- 86% of homes have broadband
Outdoors
- Flat, open land
- Elevation 1,152 ft
- 829 mi to the ocean
- 195 mi to a big lake
- 51 mi to the nearest trailhead
- 44 mi to the nearest ski area
- 2 mi to the nearest campground
- 16 golf courses within 25 mi
Things to do
- 26 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
- 3 bars within 25 mi
- 3 coffee shops within 25 mi
- No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
- 14 museums within 25 mi
- No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
- 48 mi to the nearest farmers market
Everyday
- Schools in the bottom 24% of Iowa districts (reading)
- 7 mi to the nearest grocery store
- 7 mi to the nearest ER hospital
- 34 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
- 7 mi to the nearest vet
- 16 mi to the nearest dog park
- 17 congregations per 10k people
- 36 mi to the nearest college
Politics
- Hardin County: R+38 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