Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Centerville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $77K for a typical one, or 1.4 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 123rd of 140 in Iowa. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $47K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 41% of working residents work locally in Centerville, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. On history, just 3 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Leah Bradley Park, at 126 acres.
Where Centerville beats most towns.
Stratton House
Census counts: 1,137 in 1850, a low of 509 in 1860, 5,412 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1872 and 2 maps from 1939 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Centerville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Centerville, 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 Centerville.
Centerville trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Iowa rate.
Homes are within reach (about $77K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles. At 1.4 years of the county’s $55K median household income, the typical home (about $77K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Iowa towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
56% of households own their home in Centerville. Typical home values fell 15% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Centerville is $755 a month.
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $755 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Centerville Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Centerville High School, with 368 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 498 | C |
| Centerville High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 368 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Against the 4,516 U.S. towns with household incomes like Centerville’s, it is less healthy than 67%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of Centerville adults smoke cigarettes. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Centerville. 18% of Centerville adults binge drink.
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Centerville | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.1% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 138 to 51 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Centerville’s violent crime rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 14.5°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 94% of Iowa places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.4°.
Centerville has cold winters and warm summers. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 7 have a higher January low than Centerville. About 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 15°F | 12°F | 22°F |
| July high | 85°F | 84°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Centerville grew to 3,150 in 2023, 409 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Ottumwa (4%), Des Moines (4%) and West Des Moines (2%).
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Centerville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.7% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Morgan Cline City Park | 0.9 mi | 31 |
| 2. Leah Bradley Park | 0.1 mi | 126 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Centerville; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Centerville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
10 places in Centerville on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Centerville.
City in Iowa, US
Centerville is a city in and the county seat of Appanoose County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,412 in the 2020 census, a decline from 5,924 in 2000. After the turn of the 20th century Centerville's coal mining industry attracted European immigrants from Sweden, Italy, Croatia, and Albania. Centerville is also home of the largest town square in the state of Iowa and a campus of Indian Hills Community College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Centerville grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #123 of 140 in Iowa. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
16 notable people were born here, including Simon Estes and Claude Payton.
