Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
34% of residents are under 18 in Dows, against 23% in Iowa’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 3 have a higher average trip to work than Dows. Its National Register listings include Quasdorf Blacksmith and Wagon Shop and Fillmore Block. Dows has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Dows beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dows, 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 Dows.
The typical Dows home is worth about $112,000, up 2.8% in a year, 53% below the Iowa typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.3% of Dows working residents work locally, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. Jobs based in Dows fell to 37 in 2023, 101 fewer than in 2013. 7.2% of Dows residents live below the poverty line.
| Dows | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Dows has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Dows is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Dows. Dows beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 39% of adults have obesity in Dows.
| Dows | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Dows | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.5% | 7.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.7% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Dows
About 5 of every 100 Dows residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
Where Dows’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Dows on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Dows.
City in Iowa, US
Dows is a city in Franklin and Wright counties of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 521 at the time of the 2020 census. The town was incorporated on May 3, 1892.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dows has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born here, including Keith Robertson and Charlie Frisbee.
