Dibble House · National Register of Historic Places
Eldon’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1882.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1871Eldon is settled
EldonIA
Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
776
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$112K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
42.1
years
Jobs based here
62
A commuter town
Is Eldon a good place to live?
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Eldon. Its National Register listings include Dibble House and Big 4 Fair Art Hall. Eldon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Eldon stand out
Where Eldon beats most towns.
Small town
776 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 Eldon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eldon, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEldon Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Eldon’s trash rules yet
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 hereWapello County AuditorWapello County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5255452554 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 Eldon.
Housing
A home in Eldon is worth about $112K, on Zillow’s estimate
Eldon: 81% of households are owner-occupiers. Typical home values rose 2.4% in the year to September 2026.
$112KZillow home value
Typical home value
Eldon$112K
Iowa$237K
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Eldon’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.2 jobs for each of them
Since 2013, Eldon has lost 78 jobs, to 62 in 2023. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 1% of working residents work locally. Among residents here, 21% live below the poverty line, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The average trip to work here is 25 minutes.
1%work in town
| Eldon | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Eldon1%
Ottumwa31%
Fairfield8%
Des Moines4%
Oskaloosa3%
17 mi
median commute distance
62
jobs based in Eldon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Eldon is inland flooding, at a high overall level
For Eldon, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 74 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1993: 9. Nearly half of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 28%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Eldon after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2013.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
9
paid flood claims since 1993
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Eldon: four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 15° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 24 inches of snow a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–35°
Spring40–61°
Summer63–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Eldon is
Eldon beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Among adults in the town, 19% binge drink, below the Iowa town median (20%) but above the median of U.S. towns (16%). 16% of adults in Eldon smoke cigarettes; 39% have obesity.
| Eldon | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better29 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Eldon | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.7% |
Ottumwa Regional Health Center
11.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Eldon
16pages on Eldon
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Eldon
Indian Hills Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ottumwa12.7 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionMaharishi International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fairfield14.8 mi$16,530 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Eldon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Eldon for work
Where Eldon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
62jobs based in Eldon
1%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
4 places in Eldon on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Eldon
City in Iowa, USA
Eldon is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 783 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the home of the small Carpenter Gothic style house that served as the backdrop for Grant Wood's 1930 painting, American Gothic. Eldon got its start in the year 1870, following construction of the Keokuk and Des Moines Railway through the territory. It was incorporated in 1872. Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, who was born in nearby Ottumwa, operated Roseanne and Tom's Big Food Diner in Eldon from 1993 to 1995. Eldon is also the home of the Wapello County Fair which began in 1868.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 620 ft
- ZIP code
- 52554
Questions about Eldon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Eldon, IA a good place to live?
Eldon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.