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Small town

Living in Story City, IA

Story City is a small town of 3,398 people in Story County, Iowa. It's about 11 miles from Ames, IA and 193 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 84°F and winter highs 29°F, with about 32 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $216k and rent runs about $999 a month.

3,398people
$216kTypical home
$999/moRent
84° / 29°Summer / winter
32"Snow
233Sunny days
98Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Small town of 3,398
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 1,144 people per sq mi
  • 193 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 11 mi to Ames, IA
  • 11 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $216k (≈$1,360/mo)
  • Median rent $999/mo
  • Median household income $97k
  • Property tax about 1.3% of value
  • 4.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 84°F
  • Winter highs around 29°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
  • 98 days a year with rain or snow
  • 32" of snow a year
  • 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 37 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (68 per 100k)
  • Low property crime (965 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 39
  • 33% of households have kids
  • 20% are 65 or older
  • 45% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 4% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 23 min
  • 2% walk or take transit to work
  • 40 mi to FOD airport
  • 45 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 88 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 69% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1970
  • 90% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 991 ft
  • 836 mi to the ocean
  • 215 mi to a big lake
  • 38 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 22 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 9 mi to the nearest campground
  • 16 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 72 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 19 bars within 25 mi
  • 33 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • 1 music venue or club within 25 mi
  • 18 museums within 25 mi
  • 2 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 43 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 6% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 9 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 11 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 11 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 11 mi to the nearest vet
  • 9 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 7 congregations per 10k people
  • 12 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Story County: D+10 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
  • Very low drought risk
  • High winter storm risk
  • Moderate heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Story City

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