Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower median rent than Afton. 12% of the land in Afton is conserved, above both Iowa’s towns (3.1%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Odd Fellows Block is on the National Register of Historic Places. Afton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Afton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 961 in 1870, a peak of 1,231 in 1880, 874 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Afton, 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 Afton.
The typical Afton home is worth about $129,000, up 8% in a year, 45% below the Iowa typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Afton for work: only 4% work in town. At $55,000, Afton’s median household income is against $69,000 in Iowa’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. 14% of Afton residents live below the poverty line.
| Afton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Afton has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Afton Town Square | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Afton tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Afton.
| Afton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 23% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Afton
About 4 of every 100 Afton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Afton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Afton.
City in Iowa, United States
Afton is a city in Union County, Iowa. The population was 874 at the time of the 2020 census. Its peak of population was in 1880, at 1,231 residents, when numerous European immigrants and migrants from the eastern United States settled here for the farmland. Mechanization of farming and consolidation of farms has reduced the population.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Afton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Cynthia May Alden and J. B. West.
