Allison Iowa, 2008
Allison’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1879Allison is settled
Photo: Billwhittaker (talk) · Public domain
Population
933
2025 Census estimate · −3.3% since 2020
Typical home
$172K
+4.2% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
42.3
years
Jobs based here
455
Balanced
Is Allison a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher share of residents 65 or older than Allison. Allison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
933 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Allison: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Allison, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAllison Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereButler County AuditorButler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5060250602 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Allison.
Natural hazards
Allison has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Allison’s FEMA hazard score stands at 78 of 100. FEMA puts 56% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to drought. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Allison after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Allison’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The North Butler Community School District runs its public schools. 271 students attend Allison’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Butler ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 271 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Allison: about $172K
Allison’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $740 a month, below both the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.2%.
$172KZillow home value
| Allison | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $740 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Allison$172K
Iowa$237K
+4.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Allison’s year
Allison’s peak summer temperature stands at 83°F, where Iowa’s towns sit at 84°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–57°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Allison
Jobs based in Allison fell to 455 in 2023, 107 fewer than in 2013. Only 12% of working residents stay in Allison for work; the rest commute out. The town’s average commute is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Waterloo (9%), Greene (8%) and Waverly (6%).
12%work in town
| Allison | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Allison12%
Waterloo9%
Greene8%
Waverly6%
Charles City6%
25 mi
median commute distance
455
jobs based in Allison
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Allison is
Among adults in Allison, 80% had a checkup this year. The town does better than the Iowa average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 5. Two figures for adults in the town: 30% sleep under 7 hours, 30% feel lonely.
| Allison | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
3 better24 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Allison | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.4% | 66.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.7% |
Waverly Health Center
16 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Allison is conserved land
1.7 miles of trail. The trail network density for Allison comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,865 acres
1.7 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Allison
18pages on Allison
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Allison; the nearest are
Wartburg CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waverly15.9 mi$26,250 tuitionUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · Cedar Falls23.7 mi$9,936 in-state tuitionEllsworth Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Iowa Falls28.5 mi$5,496 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Allison residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Allison
City in Iowa, USA
Allison is a city in, and the county seat of, Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 966 at the 2020 census. Allison is home to the Butler County Fair. The city was named for U.S. Senator William B. Allison in 1881.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,053 ft
- ZIP code
- 50602
- Area code
- 319
Questions about Allison
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Allison, IA a good place to live?
Allison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.