Secrest Octagon Barn · National Register of Historic Places
Downey’s story
169 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1857Downey is settled
DowneyIA
It counts 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Beers and St. John Company Coach Inn · Photo: Boscophotos · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
59
Census survey, 2020–24
Median age
64.8
years
Jobs based here
7
A commuter town
Settled
1857
169 years ago
Is Downey a good place to live?
Downey’s median age is 64.8 years, against 38.7 years in Iowa’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher home-ownership rate than Downey. Its National Register listings include Secrest Octagon Barn and Downey Savings Bank. Downey has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Downey stand out
Where Downey beats most towns.
Landmarks
3 places in Downey on the National Register of Historic Places.
Small town
59 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Downey.
Work & commute
Most of Downey’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
0%work in town
Half commute less than 13 miles. The top destinations are Iowa City (35%), Tipton (10%) and Cedar Rapids (8%).
Where working residents work
In Downey0%
Iowa City35%
Tipton10%
Cedar Rapids8%
Muscatine6%
13 mi
median commute distance
7
jobs based in Downey
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Downey brings four seasons and pleasant summers
28″snow a winter
Expect July afternoons of 84° and January nights of 13°, with about 28 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–33°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall41–62°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Downey faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
66risk score of 100
In Downey, the risk rating from FEMA is 66 of 100. FEMA puts 49% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to tornadoes.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Downey is
The share of adults in Downey who worry about having enough food: 9.7%. 40% of adults locally have obesity; 16% say their health is fair or poor.
| Downey | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
4 better28 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Downey | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.2% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 6.4% |
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down
10 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downey
15pages on Downey
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Kinnick Stadium and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Downey. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
4 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
4 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
11 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
29 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
11 mi MuseumUniversity of Iowa Stanley Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Kinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0 · University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to Downey: who provides what
Downey is unincorporated, so Cedar County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCedar CountyCedar County provides services here
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 hereCedar County AuditorCedar County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5235852358 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.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Downey for work
Where Downey’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
7jobs based in Downey
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Downey
About 0 of every 100 Downey residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Questions about Downey
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Downey, IA a good place to live?
Downey has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. It counts 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Downey is in here
Say something about Downey.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.