Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 387, settled in 1882.
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower income of the median household than Earling. Earling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 340 in 1900, a peak of 573 in 1970, 397 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Earling, 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 Earling.
The top destinations are Harlan (23%), Council Bluffs (13%) and Shelby (11%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Earling dropped by 46, to 34. The town’s mean commuting time is 19 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| Earling | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The range runs from 12° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 31 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Earling, 16% of adults smoke cigarettes, above both Iowa’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (14%). 20% of adults binge drink here.
| Earling | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Earling | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.9% | 3.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are nearly a quarter of residents (18% statewide). 387 people lived in Earling by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 2.3% fewer than in 2020. A bachelor’s degree or higher: 27% of adults 25 and older, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Earling | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 25% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Earling | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.8% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.6% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.8% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.8% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.3% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.4% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Households in Earling have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Compared with 56% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Just over a quarter of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 23%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Earling, the going rate for rent is $815 a month. Typical home values rose 7.2% in the year to September 2026. For households here, the share who are owner-occupiers is 76%.
| Earling | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $815 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Earling. One park or preserve covers 5 acres here.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Schimerowski Recreation Area | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Earling; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Earling residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Earling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Earling is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. The population was 397 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Earling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.