Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
22% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Atlantic is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 115th of 140 in Iowa, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $162K, 2.6 years of the county’s $63K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: residents are less healthy than 79% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 43% of working residents work locally in Atlantic, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. Atlantic's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 100% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Atlantic.
Where Atlantic beats most towns.
S. F. Martin House
Harlan J. BushfieldEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Atlantic is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,200 in 1870, 6,792 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1874 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atlantic, 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 Atlantic.
41% of Atlantic adults have high blood pressure. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Atlantic. 18% of Atlantic adults smoke cigarettes.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Atlantic | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 77.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Atlantic Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Atlantic High School, with 478 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 554 | C |
| Atlantic High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 478 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Atlantic’s property crime rate is 21 per 1,000 residents.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median rent in Atlantic is $764 a month. The typical Atlantic home is worth about $162,000, up 3.5% in a year, 32% below the Iowa typical home. 63% of households own their home in Atlantic.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $764 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sunnyside Park, at 88 acres.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Atlantic City Park | 0.3 mi | 2 |
| 2. Sunnyside Park | — | 88 |
| 3. Pellet Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Atlantic has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,596 working residents takes 10.8 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
Since 2013, Atlantic has lost 408 jobs, to 3,353 in 2023. The top destinations are Oakland (4%), Council Bluffs (4%) and Omaha (3%). Half commute less than 7 miles.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (18% statewide). 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Atlantic | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 43.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 25% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.9 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 57% are women (IA 49%).
| Atlantic | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.5% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.7% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Atlantic.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Atlantic; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Atlantic residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
8 places in Atlantic on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Atlantic.
City in Iowa, United States
Atlantic is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 6,792 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 7,257 population in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Atlantic grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #115 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Health 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.
15 notable people were born here, including Harlan J. Bushfield and Frederick C. Loofbourow.
