GarwinIowaPopPlot, 2021
Garwin’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1880Garwin is settled
Photo: Nick Helten · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
469
2025 Census estimate · −3.1% since 2020
Typical home
$168K
+0.8% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
41.2
years
Jobs based here
66
A commuter town
Is Garwin a good place to live?
Garwin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
469 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 Garwin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Garwin, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGarwin Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerThe town’s contract hauler picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
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 hereTama County AuditorTama County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5063250632 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 Garwin.
Work & commute
Garwin stands out in Iowa and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
In Garwin, the typical journey to work is 24 minutes. The share of residents in Garwin who live below the poverty line is 7.7%, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Marshalltown (25%), Gladbrook (6%) and Cedar Rapids (5%). The median commute is under 14 miles.
2%work in town
| Garwin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Garwin2%
Marshalltown25%
Gladbrook6%
Cedar Rapids5%
Waterloo5%
14 mi
median commute distance
66
jobs based in Garwin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Garwin’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the GMG Community School District. 205 students attend Garwin’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMG Secondary SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 205 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Garwin home at about $168K
The share of households in Garwin who are owner-occupiers: 82%. In Garwin, the median rent is $750 a month, below both the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$168KZillow home value
| Garwin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $750 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Garwin$168K
Iowa$237K
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Garwin
Expect July afternoons of 83° and January nights of 10°, with about 28 inches of snow a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall39–61°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Garwin is
Garwin tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. Among adults here, 20% binge drink. Two figures for adults locally: 16% smoke cigarettes, 33% sleep under 7 hours.
| Garwin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown
11.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Garwin: inland flooding
Compared with 56% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Garwin is lower. Just over a third of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 29%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Garwin after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2020.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Garwin
18pages on Garwin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Garwin
About 6 of every 100 Garwin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Garwin for work
Where Garwin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
66jobs based in Garwin
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Garwin
City in Iowa, United States
Garwin is a city in Tama County, Iowa, United States. The population was 481 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 922 ft
- ZIP code
- 50632
Questions about Garwin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Garwin, IA a good place to live?
Garwin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.