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Out in the country

Living in Country around Russell, IA

Country around Russell is a rural area of about 1,195 people in Lucas County, Iowa, named for the post office its ZIP code uses. It's about 48 miles from Des Moines, IA and 146 miles from Kansas City, MO, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 85°F and winter highs 31°F, with about 24 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $83k and rent runs about $700 a month.

1,195people
$83kTypical home
$700/moRent
85° / 31°Summer / winter
24"Snow
239Sunny days
117Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Rural — about 1,195 people spread over the area
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 12 people per sq mi
  • 146 mi to Kansas City, MO
  • 48 mi to Des Moines, IA
  • 33 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $83k (≈$525/mo)
  • Median rent $700/mo
  • Median household income $60k
  • Property tax about 0.8% of value
  • 4.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 85°F
  • Winter highs around 31°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 64°F)
  • 239 sunny days a year (95 totally clear)
  • 126 cloudy days a year
  • 39 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 117 days a year with rain or snow
  • 24" of snow a year
  • 9 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 36 nights a year below 10°F
  • Breezy

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (69 per 100k), county-wide
  • Very low property crime (769 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 41
  • 29% of households have kids
  • 24% are 65 or older
  • 15% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 3% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 30 min
  • 1% walk or take transit to work
  • 46 mi to DSM airport
  • 46 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 40 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 87% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1948
  • 78% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,007 ft
  • 749 mi to the ocean
  • 259 mi to a big lake
  • 60 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 47 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 6 mi to the nearest campground
  • 7 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

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

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 30% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 8 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 8 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 52 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 23 mi to the nearest vet
  • 40 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 14 congregations per 10k people
  • 33 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Lucas County: R+48 in 2024
  • Iowa: R+13 in 2024

Natural hazards

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

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