ArcherIowaPopPlot, 2021
Archer’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 351 in 1910, 117 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1888Archer is founded
ArcherIA
A town of 116, founded in 1888.
Population
116
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$236K
+13.9% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
39.4
years
Jobs based here
1
A commuter town
Is Archer a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Archer. Archer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
116 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 Archer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Archer, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Archer’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 hereO'Brien County AuditorO'Brien County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5123151231 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 Archer.
Work & commute
Most of Archer’s workers commute out: the town has 0.0 jobs for each of them
At 12 minutes, Archer’s average trip to work is where Iowa’s towns sit at 19 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Sheldon (21%), Sanborn (12%) and Primghar (8%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Archer0%
Sheldon21%
Sanborn12%
Primghar8%
Sioux Falls6%
8 mi
median commute distance
1
jobs based in Archer
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More children than Iowa overall
That puts Archer above both the Iowa town median (25%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Children under 18 are 35% of residents (23% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide).
39.4median age · IA 38.6
| Archer | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 25% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
ArcherIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school36%
Some college15%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s29%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 36% and 66% women
The Census survey reached too few of Archer’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Archer | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 17.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.2% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.3% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Archer, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Archer has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 7° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–28°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall37–60°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Low risk in Archer, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Archer is
Archer beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 19% of adults binge drink in Archer.
| Archer | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Archer | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.9% | 11.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4% | 3.3% |
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center
7.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Archer is valued at about $236K
The typical Archer home is worth about $236,000, up 13.9% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home. 84% of Archer households own their home.
$236KZillow home value
Typical home value
Archer$236K
Iowa$237K
+13.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 55 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Archer City Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Archer
17pages on Archer
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Archer
About 8 of every 100 Archer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Archer for work
Where Archer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1jobs based in Archer
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Archer
City in Iowa, USA
Archer is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The population was 117 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,470 ft
- ZIP code
- 51231
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Archer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Archer, IA a good place to live?
Archer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.