Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elgin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Elgin beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 428 in 1880, 685 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elgin, 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 Elgin.
FEMA puts 69% of Elgin’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 9% to tornadoes. Flood insurance has paid out on 19 claims in the town since 1991. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Elgin after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Elgin, below both the Iowa town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Commuting out is the norm in the town: 3% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Elgin dropped by 43, to 102. Its average trip to work stands at 18 minutes.
| Elgin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a lower peak summer temperature than Elgin. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 8° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of households in Elgin who own their home: 83%. Values rose 14% in the 12 months to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Elgin, 31% of adults feel lonely. The town does better than the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. 20% of adults binge drink in the town, close to Iowa’s towns (20%) and above U.S. towns (16%). Among adults in the town, 20% have been diagnosed with depression and 38% have high blood pressure.
| Elgin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Elgin | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.3% | 66.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elgin
About 0 of every 100 Elgin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Elgin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Elgin is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 685 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.
Elgin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.