BoydenIowaPopPlot, 2021
Boyden’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 277 in 1890, 701 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1964 on.
- 1881Boyden is settled
BoydenIA
A town of 688, settled in 1881.
Population
688
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$289K
+6.8% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
476
Balanced
Is Boyden a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 8 have a higher share of households owning their home than Boyden. Boyden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
688 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 Boyden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Boyden, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBoyden Municipal 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 Boyden’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 hereSioux County AuditorSioux County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5123451234 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 Boyden.
Housing
A typical Boyden home is worth about $289K
The typical Boyden home is worth about $289,000, up 6.8% in a year, 22% above the Iowa typical home. Boyden’s median rent is $756 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$289KZillow home value
Typical home value
Boyden$289K
Iowa$237K
+6.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Boyden’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Boyden-Hull Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyden-Hull Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 322 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Boyden has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Boyden 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
Winter11–29°
Spring35–58°
Summer59–82°
Fall37–60°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Boyden faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 1.5 jobs for every working resident, Boyden draws in 461 commuters
Most working residents leave Boyden for work: only 5% work in town. Boyden’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, below both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The median household income in Boyden is $88,000.
5%work in town
| Boyden | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Boyden5%
Orange City13%
Sioux Center13%
Sheldon11%
Hull6%
13 mi
median commute distance
476
jobs based in Boyden
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Boyden is
Boyden beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 22% of Boyden adults binge drink. Only 10 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Boyden.
| Boyden | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Boyden | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 23.9% | 27% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 70.2% | 66.8% |
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center
7.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Boyden
17pages on Boyden
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Boyden
Northwest Iowa Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sheldon6.2 mi$7,350 in-state tuitionDordt UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Center11.1 mi$37,050 tuitionNorthwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Orange City13.4 mi$36,710 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Boyden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Boyden
City in Iowa, US
Boyden is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States. The population was 701 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,421 ft
- ZIP code
- 51234
Questions about Boyden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Boyden, IA a good place to live?
Boyden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.