Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 513, settled in 1876.
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Charter Oak. Charter Oak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 567 in 1890, a peak of 776 in 1940, 535 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Charter Oak, 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 Charter Oak.
Most working residents leave Charter Oak for work: only 4% work in town. At $53,000, Charter Oak’s median household income is against $69,000 in Iowa’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Charter Oak’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
| Charter Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Oak-Ute Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 117 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Charter Oak has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 11° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Charter Oak home is worth about $188,000, up 12.8% in a year, 20% below the Iowa typical home. 64% of Charter Oak households own their home, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Charter Oak beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 21% of adults binge drink in Charter Oak.
| Charter Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Charter Oak | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.3% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Charter Oak; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Charter Oak residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Charter Oak’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Charter Oak is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the East Soldier River. The population was 535 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Charter Oak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.