Gilbert Senior Highschool, 2012
Gilbert’s story
113 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1913Gilbert is settled
GilbertIA
A town of 1,389, settled in 1913. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Pleasant Grove Community Church and Cemetery · Photo: Dagwin57 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,389
2025 Census estimate · +15.1% since 2020
Typical home
$338K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$123K
median
Median age
43.9
years
Jobs based here
372
A commuter town
Is Gilbert a good place to live?
Gilbert’s best subject grades are an A+ for schools and an A for health and incomes; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. On health, just 6 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Only 6 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on history. Gilbert's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns. Gilbert has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Gilbert stand out
Where Gilbert beats most towns.
Small town
1,389 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Gilbert grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Gilbert is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →HealthMary Greeley Medical Center 5.4 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 0.7% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsB−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life8.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.9; 44% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gilbert: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilbert, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Boone)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gilbert’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 hereStory County AuditorStory County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP code5010550105 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 Gilbert.
SchoolsA+
Gilbert’s public schools rank among the best in Iowa
The largest public high school is Gilbert High School, with 509 students. The Gilbert Community School District runs its public schools. Of its 4 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason.
99%of IA districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 409 | – |
| Gilbert High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 509 | A+ |
| Gilbert Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 408 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Gilbert is healthier than nine in ten U.S. towns
The share of adults in Gilbert who have been diagnosed with depression is 21%, where Iowa’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 23%. Of 32 CDC measures, Gilbert beats the Iowa average on 19 and trails it on 2. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Gilbert. For adults locally, the share who binge drink is 25%.
91%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Gilbert | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
19 better11 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Gilbert | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.1% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 12% |
| More binge drinkers | 24.6% | 20.5% |
Mary Greeley Medical Center
5.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
The typical home in Gilbert is valued at about $338K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.8%. The share of households in Gilbert who are owner-occupiers is 87%, above both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). For Gilbert, the rent at the middle of the market is $865 a month.
$338KZillow home value
| Gilbert | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $865 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gilbert$338K
Iowa$237K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About half of Gilbert’s working residents commute to Ames
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Gilbert. Most people who work leave Gilbert to do it: just 8% work in town. The town had 372 jobs in 2023, up 60 from 2013. The income of the median household for Gilbert comes to $123,000.
8%work in town
| Gilbert | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $123,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gilbert8%
Ames47%
Des Moines5%
Nevada4%
Ankeny3%
7 mi
median commute distance
372
jobs based in Gilbert
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Gilbert’s year
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 10°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–62°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Gilbert has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Gilbert after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2020. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 21%. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 2008: 2.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
2
paid flood claims since 2008
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 2% of Gilbert
0.1 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Gilbert: one, of 4 acres.
2%conserved
| Gilbert | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
2%
conserved · 14 of 700 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Banford Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Hilton Coliseum and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gilbert. Close and well known come first.
6 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
36 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
36 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol32 mi Theme parkAdventureland
36 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
35 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gilbert
18pages on Gilbert
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Gilbert
About 5 of every 100 Gilbert residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A growing town
Gilbert has grown 29% since 2010
1,082 counted in 2010 and 1,211 in 2020; an estimated 1,389 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Gilbert
City in Iowa, United States
Gilbert is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,211 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 991 ft
- ZIP code
- 50105
Questions about Gilbert
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gilbert, IA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Is Gilbert, IA expensive?
That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($73,127 across the Ames, IA metro 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.