Early Iowa Jan 1910, 1910
Early’s story
149 years in pictures
Census counts: 277 in 1890, a peak of 824 in 1960, 587 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and a map from 1980 on.
- 1877Early is settled
Photo: Bill Whittaker (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
567
2025 Census estimate · −3.7% since 2020
Typical home
$158K
+8.6% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
64
A commuter town
Is Early a good place to live?
No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower median rent than Early. Early has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
567 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Early: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Early, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEarly Municipal Water Supply5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereSac County AuditorSac County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5053550535 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Early.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Early’s working residents work locally
0.7% of Early working residents work locally, below both Iowa’s towns (31%) and U.S. towns (8%). Early’s median household income is $91,000. The top destinations are Storm Lake (21%), Sac City (6%) and Holstein (5%).
1%work in town
| Early | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Early1%
Storm Lake21%
Sac City6%
Holstein5%
Schaller5%
20 mi
median commute distance
64
jobs based in Early
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Early’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Schaller-Crestland Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schaller-Crestland Ridge View Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 126 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
A typical Early home is worth about $158K
The typical Early home is worth about $158,000, up 8.6% in a year, 33% below the Iowa typical home.
$158KZillow home value
Typical home value
Early$158K
Iowa$237K
+8.6%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Early, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Early has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 83°F, Early’s July high is where Iowa’s towns sit at 84°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Early faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtHailInland flooding
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Early is
Early tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 21% of Early adults binge drink.
| Early | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Loring Hospital
9.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Early
16pages on Early
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Early
About 3 of every 100 Early residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Early for work
Where Early’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
64jobs based in Early
1%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Early
City in Iowa, United States
Early is a city in Sac County, Iowa, United States. The population was 587 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,345 ft
- ZIP code
- 50535
Questions about Early
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Early, IA a good place to live?
Early has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.