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Out in the country

Living in Country around Laurel, IA

Country around Laurel is a rural area of about 587 people in Jasper County, Iowa, named for the post office its ZIP code uses. It's about 36 miles from Ames, IA and 207 miles from Kansas City, MO, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 84°F and winter highs 28°F, with about 28 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $140k and rent runs about $666 a month.

587people
$140kTypical home
$666/moRent
84° / 28°Summer / winter
28"Snow
237Sunny days
93Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Rural — about 587 people spread over the area
  • Its own small hub, not a suburb
  • About 16 people per sq mi
  • 207 mi to Kansas City, MO
  • 36 mi to Ames, IA
  • 12 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $140k (≈$880/mo)
  • Median rent $666/mo
  • Median household income $78k
  • Property tax about 1.2% of value
  • 5.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 84°F
  • Winter highs around 28°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 63°F)
  • 237 sunny days a year (88 totally clear)
  • 128 cloudy days a year
  • 41 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 93 days a year with rain or snow
  • 28" of snow a year
  • 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 39 nights a year below 10°F
  • Breezy

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (148 per 100k), county-wide
  • Very low property crime (703 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 48
  • 27% 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 24 min
  • 2% walk or take transit to work
  • 43 mi to DSM airport
  • 43 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 65 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 85% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1952
  • 93% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,001 ft
  • 808 mi to the ocean
  • 204 mi to a big lake
  • 51 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 36 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 6 mi to the nearest campground
  • 13 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 55 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 13 bars within 25 mi
  • 8 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 14 museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 13 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 45% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 10 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 12 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 12 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 12 mi to the nearest vet
  • 13 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 12 congregations per 10k people
  • 32 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Jasper County: R+28 in 2024
  • Iowa: R+13 in 2024

Natural hazards

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

Places near Near Laurel

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