Brayton, IA, 2020
Brayton’s story
148 years in pictures
Census counts: 38 in 1880, a peak of 244 in 1920, 143 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
- 1878Brayton is settled
BraytonIA
A town of 136, settled in 1878.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
136
2025 Census estimate · −4.9% since 2020
Typical home
$184K
+11.2% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
46.5
years
Jobs based here
19
A commuter town
Is Brayton a good place to live?
13% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Brayton, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. Brayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
136 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 Brayton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brayton, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrayton Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Brayton’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 hereAudubon County AuditorAudubon County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2020
ZIP code5004250042 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 Brayton.
Work & commute
Most of Brayton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Half of commuters travel less than 31 miles. The mean commuting time in Brayton is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Elk Horn (10%), Exira (10%) and Atlantic (9%).
0%work in town
| Brayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Brayton0%
Elk Horn10%
Exira10%
Atlantic9%
Audubon6%
31 mi
median commute distance
19
jobs based in Brayton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A home in Brayton is worth about $184K, on Zillow’s estimate
For Brayton, the rent at the middle of the market is $756 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 11%. 69% of Brayton households are owner-occupiers.
$184KZillow home value
| Brayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $756 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Brayton$184K
Iowa$237K
+11.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Brayton brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 11° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 27 inches of snow a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–33°
Spring37–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall39–62°
Oct 2
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Brayton has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from drought
In Brayton, the FEMA hazard score is 64 of 100, above both Iowa’s towns (40 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). FEMA puts 34% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 21% to inland flooding. Federal aid has come to Brayton households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2010.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingCold waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Brayton is
In Brayton, nearly a fifth of adults smoke cigarettes. The share of adults in Brayton who binge drink: 22%.
| Brayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Brayton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.5% | 14.5% |
Cass County Memorial Hospital
10.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 277 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Legion Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brayton
17pages on Brayton
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brayton; the nearest are
Southwestern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Creston43.3 mi$8,064 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterUniversity or college · Public · Omaha, NE57.6 mi
About 2 of every 100 Brayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Brayton for work
Where Brayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
19jobs based in Brayton
0%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brayton
City in Iowa, USA
Brayton is a city in Audubon County, Iowa, United States, along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 143 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1878
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,207 ft
- ZIP code
- 50042
Questions about Brayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brayton, IA a good place to live?
Brayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.