Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,572, settled in 1854. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Few places in the country grade higher. Center Point earns an A+, ranked 5th of 140 in Iowa. The median household earns $95K, its schools outperform 81% of the state's, and homes are within reach, about $324K for a typical one, or 4.1 years of the Cedar Rapids metro’s $78K median household income. Its lowest mark, an A−, is in health. 7% of working residents work locally in Center Point, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. Center Point's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 88% of U.S. towns. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 1 have a higher average trip to work than Center Point.
Where Center Point beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Center Point-Urbana Primary School | PK–2 | 365 |
| Center Point-Urbana Middle School | 6–8 | 290 |
| Center Point-Urbana High School | 9–12 | 440 |
Where Center Point’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Center Point is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 443 in 1870, 2,579 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 4 maps from 1888 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Center Point, 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 Center Point.
Center Point pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, but it has commutes longer than most of Iowa.
1.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Fross Park, at 45 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. The trail density in Center Point is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Center Point | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fross Park | 1.8 mi | 45 |
| 2. Wakema Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $324K.
Its public schools are run by the Center Point-Urbana Community School District. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Center Point-Urbana High School, with 440 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Point-Urbana Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 365 | – |
| Center Point-Urbana High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 440 | A |
| Center Point-Urbana Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 290 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026. 78% of Center Point households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Center Point beats the Iowa average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 23% of adults binge drink in Center Point. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Center Point.
| Center Point | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Center Point | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| More adults with depression | 24.5% | 20.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,271 working residents takes 26.8 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
Jobs based in Center Point grew to 762 in 2023, 169 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Cedar Rapids (45%), Hiawatha (6%) and Marion (5%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
| Center Point | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Center Point has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Center Point.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 14% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 27% of residents (23% statewide). Center Point’s median age is 36.4 years. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Center Point | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 25% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 82% are men (IA 52%).
| Center Point | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.8% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.8% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center Point. Close and well known come first.
38 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium32 mi Theme parkLost Island Theme Park
16 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
38 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
15 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park
15 mi MuseumMuseum of Art Cedar RapidsKinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Art Cedar Rapids: ericjames, CC BY 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Center Point
About 2 of every 100 Center Point residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
City in Iowa, United States
Center Point is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,579 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Center Point grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #5 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A− for health and A− 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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Stephen R. Fitzgarrald and Benton J. Underwood.
