Aplington, Iowa street 2009, 2009
Aplington’s story
161 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1865Aplington is settled
AplingtonIA
A town of 1,084, settled in 1865.
Photo: Billwhittaker (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,084
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$179K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
202
A commuter town
Is Aplington a good place to live?
The best of Aplington’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools. No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower median rent than Aplington. 29% of residents are under 18 in Aplington, against 23% in Iowa’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 11 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. Aplington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Aplington stand out
Where Aplington beats most towns.
Typical home value
Aplington$179K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA+
2.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 97% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Aplington-Parkersburg Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Aplington Elementary School | 3–5 | 165 |
| Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School | 6–8 | 198 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,084 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Aplington grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Aplington is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 3.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →HealthGrundy County Memorial Hospital 16.6 miles awayB−Open →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History3 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life9.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Aplington: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aplington, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of AplingtonEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterAplington Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Aplington’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 hereButler County AuditorButler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5060450604 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 Aplington.
SchoolsA−
Aplington’s schools rank ahead of 77% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
77%of IA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aplington-Parkersburg Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 198 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Aplington has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Aplington for work: only 6% work in town. 4.6% of Aplington residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Since 2013, Aplington has lost 29 jobs, to 202 in 2023.
6%work in town
| Aplington | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Aplington6%
Waterloo19%
Cedar Falls14%
Parkersburg9%
Waverly3%
23 mi
median commute distance
202
jobs based in Aplington
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 59% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Aplington is valued at about $179K
The typical Aplington home is worth about $179,000, up 2.1% in a year, 24% below the Iowa typical home. 83% of Aplington households own their home.
$179KZillow home value
Typical home value
Aplington$179K
Iowa$237K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Aplington has four seasons and pleasant summers
Aplington has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Aplington’s July high is 83°F.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring37–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Iowa overall
The median age in Aplington is 36.4 years. Aplington has lost 2.5% of its people since 2020, down to 1,084 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
36.4median age · IA 38.6
| Aplington | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 25% | 29% |
AplingtonIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school40%
Some college15%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Aplington | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.9% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.7% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.6% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Aplington is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns
Aplington beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 20% of adults binge drink in Aplington. Only 6 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Aplington.
55%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Aplington | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better24 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Aplington | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72% | 66.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.7% |
Grundy County Memorial Hospital
16.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Aplington, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Aplington
18pages on Aplington
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Aplington; the nearest are
Ellsworth Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Iowa Falls19.8 mi$5,496 in-state tuitionUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · Cedar Falls22.1 mi$9,936 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Aplington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Aplington for work
Where Aplington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
202jobs based in Aplington
6%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Aplington
3 notable people were born in Aplington.
About Aplington
City in Iowa, US
Aplington is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,116 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 974 ft
- ZIP code
- 50604
- Area code
- 319
Questions about Aplington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Aplington, IA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Aplington, IA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Betty Lee Babcock and Jared DeVries.