Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Decorah earns an A+, 9th among Iowa's 140 graded towns. Its schools outperform 96% of the state's, residents are healthier than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 81% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in incomes. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 18 places on the National Register. 46% of working residents work locally in Decorah, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 5 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Norris Miller House and Decorah Ice Cave.
Where Decorah beats most towns.
Ellsworth-Porter House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| John Cline Elementary School | K–2 | 300 |
| Carrie Lee Elementary | 3–4 | 215 |
| St. Benedict School | PK–8 | 165 |
Census counts: 1,920 in 1860, 7,587 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Decorah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Decorah, 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 Decorah.
Decorah pairs an A+ for schools with modest home prices, is shaped by its college students and draws workers from Waukon and beyond.
Its A+ for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $306K. Its A+ ranks #4 of the 140 Iowa towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Decorah Community School District. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 432 | A |
| Decorah High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 555 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
5,538 jobs are based in Decorah, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 12.8 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
Decorah’s average trip to work is 13 minutes. The top destinations are Cedar Rapids (3%), Cresco (2%) and Waterloo (2%).
| Decorah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5.1 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The trail density in Decorah is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Carl Selland Park, at 71 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dunnings Spring Park | 0.7 mi | 52 |
| 2. Phelps Park | 0.7 mi | 45 |
| 3. Will Baker Park | 0.4 mi | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Decorah. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Decorah. 21% of adults binge drink in Decorah.
| Decorah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Decorah | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 12% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.6% | 9.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Decorah home is worth about $306,000, up 0.6% in a year, 29% above the Iowa typical home. 62% of Decorah households own their home.
| Decorah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $853 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Decorah has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 7 have a lower July high than Decorah.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Decorah.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Decorah. Close and well known come first.
31 mi National MonumentEffigy Mounds National Monument57K visitors a year
in town MuseumVesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
37 mi MuseumFort Crawford
11 mi MuseumBily Clock Museum
30 mi AttractionPreston Overlook
12 mi MuseumBurr Oak House/Masters HotelEffigy Mounds National Monument: National Park Service, Public domain · Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Crawford: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bily Clock Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Preston Overlook: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Burr Oak House/Masters Hotel: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Decorah
College town 23 of every 100 Decorah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
10.7% of the town is conserved land, across 15 parks and preserves.
17 places in Decorah on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Decorah.
City in Iowa, United States
Decorah is the largest city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is the home of Luther College, a private liberal arts college. It is known for its Norwegian-American heritage and the corresponding Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52. Located within the Driftless Area in northeastern Iowa, Decorah is situated in the bluffs of the Upper Iowa River, which flows through the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Decorah grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #9 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A for health, A− for safety and A+ for schools.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($79,066 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
18 notable people were born here, including Oswald Veblen and William Foege.
