EllstonIA
A town of 21, settled in 1895.
Is Ellston a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Ellston. Ellston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
21 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Ellston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ellston, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ellston.
A typical Ellston home is worth about $375K
The share of households in Ellston who are owner-occupiers is 79%, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%. Home values are up 11% over the year to September 2026.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Ellston
The range runs from 14° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 27 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ellston faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Ellston after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in two thirds of U.S. communities. 45% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 14%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A larger share of adults had a checkup this year in Ellston than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
5.3% of Ellston adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. The share of adults in Ellston who have obesity is 42%, above both Iowa’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (35%). No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Ellston. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Ellston is ahead of Iowa on 11 and behind on 8.
| Ellston | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 78% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Ellston | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.9% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.2% | 6.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ellston City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Ellston
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ellston; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Ellston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Ellston
City in Iowa, USA
Ellston is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 19 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,224 ft
- ZIP code
- 50074
Questions about Ellston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ellston, IA a good place to live?
Ellston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.