Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 512, settled in 1858.
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Ainsworth. Ainsworth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 318 in 1880, 511 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ainsworth, 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 Ainsworth.
0.4% of Ainsworth working residents work locally, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. Jobs based in Ainsworth fell to 25 in 2023, 42 fewer than in 2013. 4.3% of Ainsworth residents live below the poverty line.
| Ainsworth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ainsworth has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ainsworth beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 22% of Ainsworth adults binge drink, above both Iowa’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (16%). 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Ainsworth.
| Ainsworth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Ainsworth | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 11.6% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 70.3% | 66.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Ainsworth home is worth about $254,000, up 6.6% in a year, 7% above the Iowa typical home. The median rent in Ainsworth is $725 a month.
| Ainsworth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $725 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Ainsworth since 2009.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Ainsworth; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Ainsworth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Ainsworth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Ainsworth.
City in Iowa, United States
Ainsworth is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is a part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 511 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Highland Community School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ainsworth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including F. Dickinson Letts and William F. Riley.
