Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Adel earns an A, ranked 19th of 140 in Iowa. Its public schools beat 94% of Iowa towns on state tests and graduation, it is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $95K. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. Adel has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dallas County Courthouse and Dallas County Courthouse (Boundary Increase). Among 139 Iowa towns, just 4 have a higher typical home value than Adel. Adel's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Adel beats most towns.
3,682 counted in 2010 and 6,153 in 2020; an estimated 7,098 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 15.2% since 2020, after 67.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Adel is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 466 in 1860, 6,153 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 3 maps from 1949 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Adel, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Adel.
The typical Adel home is worth about $402,000, up 0.6% in a year, 70% above the Iowa typical home. 65% of Adel households own their home, below both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
| Adel | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $926 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A ranks #7 of the 140 Iowa towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow View ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–4 | Grades 2–4 | 520 | – |
| ADM Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 666 | A |
| ADM Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 352 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
29% of Adel adults feel lonely, where Iowa’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 33%. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Adel. Adel beats the Iowa average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Adel | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Adel | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.7% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 74.6% | 77.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Adel for work: only 12% work in town. Since 2013, Adel has added 335 jobs, to 2,065 in 2023. 16% of Adel workers work from home.
| Adel | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 16% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Adel has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (23% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide). Adel has grown 15% since 2020, to 7,098 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 5 have a higher share of children under 18 than Adel.
| Adel | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 25% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Adel | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 24.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 19% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Adel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.8 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Island Park, at 51 acres.
| Adel | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kinnick-Feller Riverside Park | 0.4 mi | 23 |
| 2. Island Park | — | 51 |
| 3. Evans Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Adel. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
21 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol27 mi Theme parkAdventureland
17 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
21 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park Zoo
19 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumCasey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Adel
About 4 of every 100 Adel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Adel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Adel on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Adel.
City in Iowa, United States
Adel ( ay-DEL) is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Iowa, United States. It is located along the North Raccoon River. Its population was 6,153 at the time of the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Adel grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #19 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and A for schools.
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($85,890 across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
4 notable people were born here, including Nile Kinnick and Charles R. Scott.
