Decatur, Raised Area, 1937
Decatur’s story
174 years in pictures
Census counts: 235 in 1880, a peak of 367 in 1900, 175 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and a map from 1981 on.
- 1852Decatur is settled
DecaturIA
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
178
2025 Census estimate · +1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$101K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
33
A commuter town
Is Decatur a good place to live?
Decatur’s typical journey to work is 38 minutes, above both Iowa’s towns (19 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Decatur. Decatur has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Decatur stand out
Where Decatur beats most towns.
Small town
178 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 Decatur: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Decatur, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSirwa #3 (Leon) water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Decatur’s 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 hereDecatur County AuditorDecatur County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5006750067 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 Decatur.
Work & commute
A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Decatur than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
The top destinations are Lamoni (31%), Osceola (13%) and Des Moines (7%). The median commute is under 21 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Decatur0%
Lamoni31%
Osceola13%
Des Moines7%
Leon5%
21 mi
median commute distance
33
jobs based in Decatur
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Decatur
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall42–64°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: low risk in Decatur, mostly drought
Federal aid has come to Decatur households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2010. On expected storm and flood damage, Decatur sits below 62% of U.S. communities. 25% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 24%.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Decatur
14pages on Decatur
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Decatur
About 1 of every 100 Decatur residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Decatur for work
Where Decatur’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
33jobs based in Decatur
0%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Decatur
City in Iowa, United States
Decatur is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 175 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,138 ft
- ZIP code
- 50067
Questions about Decatur
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Decatur, IA a good place to live?
Decatur has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.