Farmer in town, 1939
Collins’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 540 in 1900, 495 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 2 maps from 1975 on.
- 1881Collins is settled
CollinsIA
A town of 497, settled in 1881.
Population
497
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$271K
+5.5% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
32.3
years
Jobs based here
63
A commuter town
Is Collins a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Collins. Collins has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
497 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 Collins: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Collins, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCollins Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Collins’ 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 hereStory County AuditorStory County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP code5005550055 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 Collins.
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Collins than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
1.2% of Collins working residents work locally, below both Iowa’s towns (31%) and U.S. towns (8%). The top destinations are Ames (25%), Nevada (10%) and Des Moines (10%). Half commute less than 19 miles.
1%work in town
| Collins | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Collins1%
Ames25%
Nevada10%
Des Moines10%
Ankeny7%
19 mi
median commute distance
63
jobs based in Collins
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Collins’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Collins-Maxwell Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collins-Maxwell Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 182 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Collins has four seasons and pleasant summers
Collins has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer62–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Collins’ typical home value is about $271K
The typical Collins home is worth about $271,000, up 5.5% in a year, 14% above the Iowa typical home. At $862 a month, Collins’ median rent is near the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and below the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$271KZillow home value
| Collins | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $862 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Collins$271K
Iowa$237K
+5.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Collins is
Collins beats the Iowa average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of Collins adults binge drink.
| Collins | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
8 better23 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Collins | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.8% | 77.8% |
Story County Hospital
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Collins has set aside 2.2% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
2.2%conserved
2.2%
conserved · 7 of 312 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Collins
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Collins.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2010
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Casey's Center and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Collins. Close and well known come first.
27 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center20 mi Theme parkAdventureland
26 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
19 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
29 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
31 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Collins
18pages on Collins
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Collins; the nearest are
Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames19.5 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny20.6 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Collins residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Collins for work
Where Collins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
63jobs based in Collins
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Collins
City in Iowa, United States
Collins is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 495 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 997 ft
- ZIP code
- 50055
Questions about Collins
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Collins, IA a good place to live?
Collins has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.