Elk Run Heights, IA city hall, 2011
Elk Run Heights’s story
Elk Run Heights in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →
Elk Run HeightsIA
A town of 1,053.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: RifeIdeas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,053
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$199K
+1.6% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
55.7
years
Jobs based here
201
A commuter town
Is Elk Run Heights a good place to live?
Elk Run Heights’ best subject grades are a B+ for incomes and cost of living; its weakest is a D− for schools. Only 2 of Iowa’s 271 towns score lower on civic life. Elk Run Heights has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Elk Run Heights stand out
Where Elk Run Heights beats most towns.
Typical home value
Elk Run Heights$199K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingB+
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 71% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
4.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Small town
1,053 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
EvansdaleRaymondElk Run Heights
How Elk Run Heights grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Elk Run Heights is from typical.
SchoolsBehind 96% of Iowa districts on tests and graduationD−Open →Jobs & income$77K median household incomeB+Open →HealthMercyone Waterloo Medical Center 4.5 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 0.7% of households have no carB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 2% conserved landB−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life0.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$199K typical home, up 1.6% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 55.7; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elk Run Heights: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk Run Heights, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEvansdale Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offRite Environmental, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereBlack Hawk County AuditorBlack Hawk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes50707, 5070350707 97% · 50703 3%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 Elk Run Heights.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Elk Run Heights stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
Among residents in Elk Run Heights, 4% live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Employers in Elk Run Heights shed 37 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 201. Elk Run Heights’ mean commuting time stands at 19 minutes. The top destinations are Waterloo (55%), Cedar Falls (16%) and Cedar Rapids (3%).
1%work in town
| Elk Run Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 8.5% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Elk Run Heights1%
Waterloo55%
Cedar Falls16%
Cedar Rapids3%
Des Moines2%
7 mi
median commute distance
201
jobs based in Elk Run Heights
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Residents of Elk Run Heights are less healthy than 72% of U.S. towns
In Elk Run Heights, 15% of adults report frequent physical distress. Of 32 CDC measures, Elk Run Heights beats the Iowa average on 1 and trails it on 11. Among adults in the town, 19% smoke cigarettes, above both Iowa’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (14%). 43% of adults in the town have obesity; 20% binge drink.
28%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Elk Run Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Elk Run Heights | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73% | 66.6% |
| More smokers | 19.4% | 14.5% |
Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center
4.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
The biggest natural risk in Elk Run Heights is inland flooding, at a low overall level
The risk rating from FEMA in Elk Run Heights is 27 of 100. 41% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 28%. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1993: 5.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 1993
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Elk Run Heights
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 9°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall39–61°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Elk Run Heights’ households own their home
Values rose 1.6% in the 12 months to September 2026. For Elk Run Heights, the going rate for rent is $1,125 a month.
$199KZillow home value
| Elk Run Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,125 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Elk Run Heights$199K
Iowa$237K
+1.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB−
2.4% of the land in Elk Run Heights is protected from building
Parks and preserves in Elk Run Heights: 2, covering 16 acres.
2.4%conserved
2.4%
conserved · 17 of 691 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mayor's Park | — | 15 |
| 2. Saveraid Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Lost Island Theme Park and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elk Run Heights. Close and well known come first.
3 mi Theme parkLost Island Theme Park
25 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park
4 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
11 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice House
25 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park4 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens11 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens: Cedarvalleyarboretum, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Falls Ice House: RifeIdeas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elk Run Heights
18pages on Elk Run Heights
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Elk Run Heights
Hawkeye Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waterloo4.7 mi$6,525 in-state tuitionAllen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waterloo6 miUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · Cedar Falls10.8 mi$9,936 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Elk Run Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Elk Run Heights for work
Where Elk Run Heights’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
201jobs based in Elk Run Heights
1%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elk Run Heights
City in Iowa, US
Elk Run Heights is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,069 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 850 ft
Questions about Elk Run Heights
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elk Run Heights, IA expensive?
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 B+.