IntelliMoveTake the quiz →
Tiny town

Living in Sun Valley Lake, IA

Sun Valley Lake is a tiny town of 163 people in Ringgold County, Iowa. It's about 55 miles from Des Moines, IA and 122 miles from Kansas City, MO, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 84°F and winter highs 31°F, with about 26 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $637k and rent runs about $710 a month.

163people
$637kTypical home
$710/moRent
84° / 31°Summer / winter
26"Snow
241Sunny days
97Rain/snow days

Is Sun Valley Lake right for you?

Take the 5-minute quiz and see your match — and how it stacks up against 34,000 other places.

Take the quiz →Open in the app

Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 163
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 79 people per sq mi
  • 122 mi to Kansas City, MO
  • 55 mi to Des Moines, IA
  • 44 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $637k (≈$4,017/mo)
  • Median rent $710/mo
  • Median household income $136k
  • Property tax about 1.0% of value
  • 3.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 84°F
  • Winter highs around 31°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 63°F)
  • 241 sunny days a year (93 totally clear)
  • 124 cloudy days a year
  • 38 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 97 days a year with rain or snow
  • 26" of snow a year
  • 9 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 33 nights a year below 10°F
  • Breezy

People

  • Median age 72
  • 21% of households have kids
  • 33% are 65 or older
  • 33% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 1% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 26 min
  • 6% walk or take transit to work
  • 52 mi to DSM airport
  • 52 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 21 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 91% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1991
  • 89% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,171 ft
  • 751 mi to the ocean
  • 276 mi to a big lake
  • 55 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 58 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 18 mi to the nearest campground
  • 8 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 14 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 3 bars within 25 mi
  • 3 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 8 museums within 25 mi
  • 1 brewery or distillery within 25 mi
  • 20 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 29% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 13 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 14 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 80 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 14 mi to the nearest vet
  • 48 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 17 congregations per 10k people
  • 18 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Ringgold County: R+51 in 2024
  • Iowa: R+13 in 2024

Natural hazards

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

Some of this place's Census numbers are blended with county figures because its survey sample is small.

Places near Sun Valley Lake

More places in Iowa →