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Tiny town

Living in Ellsworth, IA

Ellsworth is a tiny town of 482 people in Hamilton County, Iowa. It's about 20 miles from Ames, IA and 184 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 83°F and winter highs 27°F, with about 32 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $149k and rent runs about $875 a month.

482people
$149kTypical home
$875/moRent
83° / 27°Summer / winter
32"Snow
233Sunny days
96Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 482
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 546 people per sq mi
  • 184 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 20 mi to Ames, IA
  • 20 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $149k (≈$940/mo)
  • Median rent $875/mo
  • Median household income $78k
  • Property tax about 1.5% of value
  • 5.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 83°F
  • Winter highs around 27°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
  • 96 days a year with rain or snow
  • 32" of snow a year
  • 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 43 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (87 per 100k), county-wide
  • Very low property crime (739 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 36
  • 31% of households have kids
  • 19% are 65 or older
  • 22% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 2% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 24 min
  • 3% walk or take transit to work
  • 35 mi to FOD airport
  • 54 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 96 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 85% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1953
  • 89% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Gently rolling terrain
  • Elevation 1,089 ft
  • 845 mi to the ocean
  • 210 mi to a big lake
  • 46 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 27 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 18 mi to the nearest campground
  • 17 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 76 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 22 bars within 25 mi
  • 29 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • 1 music venue or club within 25 mi
  • 13 museums within 25 mi
  • 2 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 50 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 6% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 17 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 16 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 19 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 20 mi to the nearest vet
  • Dog park in town
  • 16 congregations per 10k people
  • 20 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Hamilton County: R+33 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 Ellsworth

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