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Tiny town

Living in Union, IA

Union is a tiny town of 378 people in Hardin County, Iowa. It's about 32 miles from Ames, IA and 188 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 83°F and winter highs 27°F, with about 34 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $75k and rent runs about $875 a month.

378people
$75kTypical home
$875/moRent
83° / 27°Summer / winter
34"Snow
233Sunny days
99Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 378
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 662 people per sq mi
  • 188 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 32 mi to Ames, IA
  • 17 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $75k (≈$470/mo)
  • Median rent $875/mo
  • Median household income $56k
  • Property tax about 1.2% of value
  • 2.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 83°F
  • Winter highs around 27°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 63°F)
  • 233 sunny days a year (82 totally clear)
  • 132 cloudy days a year
  • 40 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 99 days a year with rain or snow
  • 34" of snow a year
  • 12 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 42 nights a year below 10°F
  • Breezy

Safety

  • About average violent crime (367 per 100k), county-wide
  • Very low property crime (649 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 51
  • 20% of households have kids
  • 26% are 65 or older
  • 20% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 3% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 23 min
  • 7% walk or take transit to work
  • 40 mi to ALO airport
  • 58 mi to DSM (major hub)
  • 91 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 87% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1958
  • 81% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 932 ft
  • 832 mi to the ocean
  • 192 mi to a big lake
  • 44 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 48 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 8 mi to the nearest campground
  • 17 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 41 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 13 bars within 25 mi
  • Few or no coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 14 museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 36 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 44% of Iowa districts (reading)
  • 8 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 16 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 31 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 16 mi to the nearest vet
  • 26 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 17 congregations per 10k people
  • 34 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Hardin County: R+38 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 Union

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