Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Anamosa gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $252K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Cedar Rapids metro’s $78K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 97th of 140 graded towns in Iowa. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the median household income is $61K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. Its National Register listings include Anamosa Public Library and Iowa Men's Reformatory Cemetery. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Anamosa, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
Where Anamosa beats most towns.
Census counts: 889 in 1860, 5,450 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1890 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Anamosa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Anamosa, 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 Anamosa.
Anamosa trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Iowa (mostly inland flooding).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Iowa towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Anamosa. Since 1999, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Anamosa.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Anamosa Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Anamosa High School, with 381 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry HillLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 400 | C |
| Anamosa High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 381 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 43 to 25 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
Anamosa’s property crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Anamosa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Anamosa has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,098 U.S. towns with household incomes like Anamosa’s, it is healthier than 55%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
37% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Anamosa. Anamosa beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 21% of adults binge drink in Anamosa.
| Anamosa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Anamosa | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 11.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 8% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.9% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Anamosa has about as many jobs (1,982) as working residents, but only 346 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 27.4 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
Most working residents leave Anamosa for work: only 15% work in town. The average trip to work in Anamosa is 27 minutes. Jobs based in Anamosa grew to 1,982 in 2023, 377 more than in 2013.
| Anamosa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $252K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles.
Typical home values rose 8.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Anamosa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $966 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wapsi-Ana Park | — | 5 |
| 2. St. Patricks City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Anamosa. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
31 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
30 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
34 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
22 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
33 mi MuseumCedar Rock State ParkKinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Anamosa
About 2 of every 100 Anamosa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
8 places in Anamosa on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Anamosa.
City in Iowa, United States
Anamosa is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,450 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jones County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Anamosa grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #97 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
8 notable people were born here, including Grant Wood and Nan Wood Graham.
