BarnumIowaPopPlot, 2021
Barnum’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 175 in 1900, 175 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
- 1874Barnum is settled
BarnumIA
A town of 194, settled in 1874.
Population
194
2025 Census estimate · +10.2% since 2020
Typical home
$211K
+5.5% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
27.4
years
Jobs based here
73
Balanced
Is Barnum a good place to live?
Barnum has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
194 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 Barnum: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnum, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBarnum Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Barnum’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 hereWebster County AuditorWebster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5051850518 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 Barnum.
Schools
The schools Barnum’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Manson Northwest Webster Community School District. Barnum’s only public school teaches 439 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manson Northwest Webster ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 439 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring37–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–61°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Barnum stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
Half commute less than 10 miles. In Barnum, the average trip to work is 17 minutes, below both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 5.2% of Barnum residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Fort Dodge (56%), West Des Moines (6%) and Ames (4%).
1%work in town
| Barnum | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Barnum1%
Fort Dodge56%
West Des Moines6%
Ames4%
Manson3%
10 mi
median commute distance
73
jobs based in Barnum
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Barnum is
In Barnum, 14% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Barnum: nearly a quarter of adults binge drink, against 20% in Iowa’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 11% of adults in Barnum report frequent physical distress; 9.3% have diabetes.
| Barnum | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
9 better23 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Barnum | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.4% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 12% |
Trinity Regional Medical Center
9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A larger share of households are owner-occupiers in Barnum than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
A typical home in Barnum is worth about $211,000, up 5.5% in a year, 11% below the Iowa typical home.
$211KZillow home value
Typical home value
Barnum$211K
Iowa$237K
+5.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Barnum has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from drought
32% of Barnum’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 24%. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Barnum households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2010.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 239 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Joyce Gordon Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barnum
18pages on Barnum
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Barnum
About 0 of every 100 Barnum residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Barnum
City in Iowa, USA
Barnum is a city in Webster County, Iowa, United States, just off U.S. Route 20. The population was 175 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,175 ft
- ZIP code
- 50518
Questions about Barnum
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barnum, IA a good place to live?
Barnum has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.