Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 758, settled in 1877.
Of the 138 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Dayton. Dayton 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: 239 in 1880, 772 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1886 and 2 maps from 1923 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dayton, 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 Dayton.
The typical Dayton home is worth about $155,000, up 5.7% in a year, 34% below the Iowa typical home.
| Dayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 43% | 42% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Southeast Valley Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 200 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Dayton’s average trip to work is 27 minutes, above both Iowa’s towns (19 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). 3.2% of Dayton working residents work locally. Since 2013, Dayton has added 53 jobs, to 161 in 2023.
| Dayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dayton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Dayton beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 39% of adults have high blood pressure in Dayton, above both the Iowa town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 19% of adults binge drink in Dayton.
| Dayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Dayton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Dayton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Ole Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Oak Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Dayton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Dayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Dayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, USA
Dayton is a city in Webster County, Iowa, United States. The population was 772 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Gertrude Mary Cox and Joseph A. A. Burnquist.