College Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Fayette’s story
165 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1861Fayette is settled
FayetteIA
42% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
College Hall · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,185
2025 Census estimate · −5.9% since 2020
Typical home
$173K
+5.1% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
23.4
years
Jobs based here
532
Balanced
Is Fayette a good place to live?
Fayette’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Fayette, above both the Iowa town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 21 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on incomes. Fayette is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns. Fayette is home to Upper Iowa University. Fayette has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Fayette stand out
Where Fayette beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Fayette10.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IA town7.5
Civic lifeA
42% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Iowa town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
College HallHistoryB+
Settled in 1861
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 165 years.
Small town
1,185 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Fayette grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Fayette is from typical.
Jobs & income$48K median household incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 10.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthGundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics 8.7 miles awayB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsBehind 55% of Iowa districts on tests and graduationB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $173K, 2.9 years of the county’s $60K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 4% conserved landB+Open →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life4.9 library visits per resident; 10.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Fayette: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fayette, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFayette Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Fayette’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 hereFayette County AuditorFayette County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code5214252142 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 Fayette.
Who lives here
Fayette stands out in Iowa and nationally, with the median age lower than most
Fayette’s median age is 23.4 years, below both Iowa’s towns (38.7 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). 14% of residents are 65 or older in Fayette. Fayette has lost 5.9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,185 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
23.4median age · IA 38.6
| Fayette | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 23.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 25% | 29% |
FayetteIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
41%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school31%
Some college23%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
41% women, 59% men
About 147 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.5 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Fayette | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 40.5% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.8% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade B−
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Fayette’s households own their home
53% of Fayette households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026.
$173KZillow home value
Typical home value
Fayette$173K
Iowa$237K
+5.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Residents of Fayette are healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Fayette beats the Iowa average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Fayette.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Fayette | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
5 better23 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Fayette | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.5% | 27% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9% | 11.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 11.6% |
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics
8.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Fayette
Fayette has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Fayette’s July high is 82°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–28°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–59°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Fayette draws in 474 commuters
Most working residents leave Fayette for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Fayette is 15 minutes. Jobs based in Fayette fell to 532 in 2023, 84 fewer than in 2013.
13%work in town
| Fayette | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 8.5% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Fayette13%
West Union9%
Oelwein6%
Waterloo6%
Cedar Rapids4%
26 mi
median commute distance
532
jobs based in Fayette
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Fayette, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fayette.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
paid flood claims since 1991
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB+
Fayette has set aside 3.5% of its land for conservation
0.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Klocks Island Park, at 34 acres.
3.5%conserved
| Fayette | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
3.5%
conserved · 33 of 954 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Klocks Island Park | — | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fayette
19pages on Fayette
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fayette
College town 39 of every 100 Fayette residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
College town
39% of Fayette is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
About Fayette
City in Iowa, USA
Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,256. It was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. Fayette is the home of Upper Iowa University, a small private college. The Volga River State Recreation Area is located just north of Fayette, and many other parks and natural areas are nearby. William B. Dohrmann was the mayor for 24 years and ended his term in 2013.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,007 ft
- ZIP code
- 52142
- Area code
- 563
Questions about Fayette
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fayette, IA a good place to live?
42% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Is Fayette, IA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.