Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Carroll gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $210K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Carroll area’s $73K median household income. It grades A− overall, ranked 40th of 140 in Iowa. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns. 45% of working residents work locally in Carroll, above both Iowa’s towns (31%) and U.S. towns (8%). Carroll has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them American Express Building-Carroll and Kittyhawk Avenue Bridge. Only 6 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Carroll.
Where Carroll beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Carroll is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 384 in 1870, 10,321 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 2 maps from 1980 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carroll, 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 Carroll.
Carroll pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Iowa norm, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and has commutes shorter than most of Iowa.
| Carroll | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Graham Park | 0.3 mi | 18 |
| 2. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Northeast Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Carroll Community School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 459 | B+ |
| Carroll High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 483 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carroll.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Carroll has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 4,812 working residents takes 11.8 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
Jobs based in Carroll fell to 5,933 in 2023, 700 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Des Moines (2%), Sioux City (2%) and West Des Moines (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
| Carroll | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.4% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (18% statewide). Carroll’s median age is 43.6 years. Carroll has lost 2.4% of its people since 2020, down to 10,085 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Carroll | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.6 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 23% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 46.7, men 40.3.
| Carroll | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Carroll grades A− overall with a typical home of about $210K, below the Iowa typical value; only 10 of the 55 Iowa towns graded A− or better can say that.
The median rent in Carroll is $722 a month. Typical home values rose 6.8% in the year to September 2026.
| Carroll | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $722 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 171 to 129 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Carroll beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Carroll. Only 9 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Carroll.
| Carroll | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Carroll | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Carroll; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Carroll residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
5 places in Carroll on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in Carroll.
City in Iowa, United States
Carroll is a city in, and the county seat of, Carroll County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,321 in the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Carroll grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #40 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B− for health, B for safety and B+ for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
19 notable people were born here, including Nick Nurse and Everett Rogers.
