Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,396, settled in 1869. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Trash day: FridayEarlham’s best subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for cost of living and safety. On incomes, just 17 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Earlham's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 100% of U.S. towns. Earlham has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them John Wilson House and Earlham Public School. Earlham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Earlham beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Earlham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Earlham, 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 Earlham.
The typical Earlham home is worth about $366,000, up 1.3% in a year, 54% above the Iowa typical home. Earlham’s median rent is $770 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 78% of households own their home in Earlham.
| Earlham | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Earlham Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earlham Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 328 | B+ |
| Earlham Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 189 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Earlham’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, where Iowa’s towns sit at 1.5 and U.S. towns at 1.6. The property crime rate in Earlham is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Earlham reports less crime per resident than 82% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Earlham | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Earlham beats the Iowa average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 22% of Earlham adults binge drink.
| Earlham | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Earlham | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.4% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Earlham for work: only 6% work in town. Earlham’s median household income is $115,000. No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher average trip to work than Earlham.
| Earlham | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (37% statewide); people 65 and older are 10% of residents (18% statewide). 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Earlham | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 10% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 43 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 25% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Earlham | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 23.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 26% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.7% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Earlham.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Earlham has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Earlham; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Earlham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Earlham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, USA
Earlham is a city in Madison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,410 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.