GilbertvilleIowaPopPlot, 2021
Gilbertville’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1856Gilbertville is settled
GilbertvilleIA
A town of 786, settled in 1856.
Population
786
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$216K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
40.6
years
Jobs based here
105
A commuter town
Is Gilbertville a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Gilbertville. Gilbertville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
786 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 Gilbertville: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilbertville, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGilbertville Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gilbertville’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 hereBlack Hawk County AuditorBlack Hawk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5063450634 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 Gilbertville.
Work & commute
About half of Gilbertville’s working residents commute to Waterloo
Most working residents leave Gilbertville for work: only 1% work in town. 3.2% of Gilbertville residents live below the poverty line, below both the Iowa town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The average trip to work in Gilbertville is 20 minutes.
1%work in town
| Gilbertville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Gilbertville1%
Waterloo49%
Cedar Falls16%
Cedar Rapids4%
Waverly3%
11 mi
median commute distance
105
jobs based in Gilbertville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosco Catholic School System PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 331 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Gilbertville
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Gilbertville has four seasons and pleasant summers
Gilbertville has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop 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
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Gilbertville is
Gilbertville beats the Iowa average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 21% of Gilbertville adults binge drink, against 20% in Iowa’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 30% of adults feel lonely in Gilbertville.
| Gilbertville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
6 better23 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Gilbertville | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.2% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 12% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.7% |
Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center
7.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
An age mix much like Iowa’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Iowa average. 21% of Gilbertville residents are 65 or older. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
40.6median age · IA 38.6
| Gilbertville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 40.6 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
GilbertvilleIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school39%
Some college14%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.4 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Gilbertville | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.1% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 14% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.6% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Housing
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the median rent in Gilbertville is lower
Gilbertville’s median rent is $643 a month. Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Gilbertville. The typical Gilbertville home is worth about $216,000, up 0.7% in a year, 9% below the Iowa typical home.
$216KZillow home value
| Gilbertville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $643 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gilbertville$216K
Iowa$237K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 3 of 229 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Black Hawk County Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Public Square Park | — | 5 |
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 Gilbertville. Close and well known come first.
5 mi Theme parkLost Island Theme Park
23 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park
6 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
15 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice House
23 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park6 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens15 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 Gilbertville
18pages on Gilbertville
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Gilbertville
Hawkeye Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waterloo6 mi$6,525 in-state tuitionAllen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waterloo10 miUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · Cedar Falls14.2 mi$9,936 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Gilbertville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Gilbertville for work
Where Gilbertville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
105jobs based in Gilbertville
1%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gilbertville
City in Iowa, US
Gilbertville is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 794 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1856
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 846 ft
- ZIP code
- 50634
Questions about Gilbertville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gilbertville, IA a good place to live?
Gilbertville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.