Anita, IA, 2020
Anita’s story
158 years in pictures
Census counts: 479 in 1880, 963 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1971 on.
- 1868Anita is settled
AnitaIA
A town of 949, settled in 1868.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
949
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$172K
+7.5% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
45.4
years
Jobs based here
282
A commuter town
Is Anita a good place to live?
No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower going rate for rent than Anita. Anita has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
949 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 Anita: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Anita, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of AnitaEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterAnita Municipal UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Anita’s trash rules yet
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 hereCass County AuditorCass County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5002050020 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 Anita.
Schools
The schools Anita’s kids attend
One of its 4 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the CAM Community School District. The largest public high school is Iowa Connections Academy High School, with 1,022 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAM Jr./Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 188 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Anita’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
16% of Anita residents live below the poverty line, above both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Just 8% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher average commute than Anita. Half the trips to work are shorter than 14 miles.
8%work in town
| Anita | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Anita8%
Atlantic28%
Omaha5%
Council Bluffs4%
Adair2%
14 mi
median commute distance
282
jobs based in Anita
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Homes in Anita are worth about $172K, by Zillow’s estimate
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 7.5% in value. Just over four fifths of Anita households live in a home they own, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$172KZillow home value
Typical home value
Anita$172K
Iowa$237K
+7.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Anita brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 12° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 27 inches of snow a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall39–62°
Oct 2
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Anita: drought
Just over a third of Anita’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 23%. Compared with 62% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 1998
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Anita stands out in Iowa and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
The share of adults in Anita who get no exercise outside work: 30%. Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Anita. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Anita is ahead of Iowa on 3 and behind on 12.
| Anita | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
3 better17 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Anita | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17.1% | 20.5% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.9% | 66.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 11.6% |
Cass County Memorial Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Anita has set aside 1.1% of its land for conservation
3 parks and preserves cover 22 acres in Anita.
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 12 of 1,139 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Anita State Park | — | 12 |
| 2. Keystone Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Victory Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Anita
19pages on Anita
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Anita; the nearest are
Southwestern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Creston32.5 mi$8,064 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterUniversity or college · Public · Omaha, NE64 mi
About 1 of every 100 Anita residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Anita for work
Where Anita’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
282jobs based in Anita
8%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Anita
City in Iowa, USA
Anita is a city in Cass County, Iowa, United States, platted in 1869 and incorporated in 1875. The population was 963 at the 2020 census. Lake Anita State Park is located just outside the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,276 ft
- ZIP code
- 50020
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Anita
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Anita, IA a good place to live?
Anita has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.