The biggest park or preserve is Laurel Park, at 22 acres. Gowrie has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

943 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Callender · 6 mi Harcourt · 6 mi Farnhamville · 6 mi Paton · 8 mi Somers · 10 mi Rinard · 11 mi

GowrieIowaPopPlot, 2021

Gowrie’s story

Gowrie in pictures

The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Gowrie: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Gowrie, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerGowrie Municipal UtilitiesEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gowrie’s trash rules yet

SchoolsSoutheast Valley Community School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereWebster County AuditorWebster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025

ZIP code5054350543 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 Gowrie.

Work & commute

Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Gowrie is longer

The top destinations are Fort Dodge (28%), Ames (4%) and Lake City (3%). Among working residents in Gowrie, 8.5% work locally, below the Iowa town median (31%) but above the median of U.S. towns (8%). For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away.

8%work in town

	Gowrie	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	31 minutes	19 minutes	25 minutes
Working residents who work in town	8.5%	31%	8%
Median household income	$80,000	$69,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Gowrie8%

Fort Dodge28%

Ames4%

Lake City3%

Jefferson3%

17 mi

median commute distance

272

jobs based in Gowrie

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageGowrie’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here272 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work8% work in Gowrie Commute times31 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 17 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Schools

The schools Gowrie’s kids attend

The Southeast Valley Community School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Southeast Valley High School, with 340 students. Its one school is below.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Southeast Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	340	–

Full pageGowrie’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsSoutheast Valley Community School District Every school1 school · Southeast Valley High School Questions“Are Gowrie’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Housing

Homes in Gowrie are worth about $166K, by Zillow’s estimate

In Gowrie, the typical rent is $750 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 78% of Gowrie households own their home. Home values are up 1.6% over the year to September 2026.

$166KZillow home value

	Gowrie	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$750 a month	$911 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	78%	70%	73%

Typical home value

Gowrie$166K

Iowa$237K

+1.6%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in April

Full pageGowrie’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 2.1 years of income Rents$750 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

Gowrie has four seasons and pleasant summers

July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 10° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.

32″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter13–31°

Spring37–59°

Summer61–82°

Fall39–61°

Oct 9

typical first frost

Apr 26

typical last frost

+0.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageGowrie’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 10°Rain & snow32″ of snow a winter · 35 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Gowrie is drought, at a low overall level

On expected storm and flood damage, Gowrie sits below 65% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Gowrie after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2010. FEMA puts a third of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 24% to tornadoes.

35risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

DroughtTornadoesInland flooding

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageGowrie’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters4 federal disasters · Paid out in Gowrie Get ready17 events a year, on average · Ready for drought

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Who lives here

Older than Iowa overall

The share of residents in Gowrie who are under 18: 20%. People 65 and older are nearly a quarter of residents (18% statewide). In Gowrie, the midpoint age is 44.7 years. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 24%, against 31% across Iowa.

44.7median age · IA 38.6

	Gowrie	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Aged 65 or older	24%	19%	18%
Median age	44.7 years	38.7 years	40.5 years
Under 18	20%	23%	22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	24%	25%	29%

GowrieIowaUnited States

IAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

14%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma2%

High school32%

Some college24%

Associate’s19%

Bachelor’s14%

Graduate11%

Women and men · all residents

52% women, 48% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Gowrie
	Gowrie	IA	U.S.
Under 10	10.7%	12.2%	11.6%
10 to 17	9.5%	10.7%	10.3%
18 to 24	8.9%	10%	9.1%
25 to 34	10.8%	12.5%	13.7%
35 to 44	10.5%	12.6%	13.2%
45 to 54	12.1%	11.3%	12.2%
55 to 64	13.6%	12.6%	12.7%
65 to 74	13.3%	10.6%	10.2%
75 and older	10.4%	7.6%	7%
No diploma	1.5%	6.7%	10.4%
High school	31.5%	30%	26%
Some college	23.8%	19.7%	19.1%
Associate’s	18.8%	12.1%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	13.8%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate	10.6%	10.5%	14.1%

Full pageGowrie by the numbersOpen the page

Ages44.7 median age · 24% are 65 or older Schooling24% have a four-year degree Homes78% own their home · Homeowners Income$80K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points

Safety

Crime reported in Gowrie

In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. 3 crimes were reported in Gowrie in 2025: 2 property and 1 violent.

Gowrie is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageGowrie’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type1 violent crime · Reported in 2025 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Questions“Is Gowrie, IA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Health

How healthy Gowrie is

16% of adults report frequent mental distress in Gowrie. Two figures for adults in the town: 40% have obesity, 38% have high blood pressure.

	Gowrie	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	20%	20%	16%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	40%	38%	35%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	38%	35%	35%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	20%	21%	23%

32 measures vs. Iowa

0 better31 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Gowrie	IA
More adults who have had cancer	9.9%	8.7%

Trinity Regional Medical Center

15.6 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

Full pageGowrie’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearby15.6 miles to an ER · Trinity Regional Medical Center How adults are doingFewer adults in frequent mental distress Every CDC estimateBetter than IA on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

In Gowrie, 0.9% of the land is conserved

Parks and preserves in Gowrie: 2, covering 26 acres.

0.9%conserved

0.9%

conserved · 8 of 918 acres

0.0 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Laurel Park	—	22
2. Lindquist Wildlife Sanctuary	—	4

Full pageGowrie’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.0 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk22 acres · Laurel Park Conserved land0.9% conserved · 8 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Gowrie?”

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Gowrie; the nearest are

Iowa Central Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fort Dodge15.3 mi$5,496 in-state tuition Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames37.2 mi$10,787 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Gowrie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

92% of working residents leave Gowrie for work

Where Gowrie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

272jobs based in Gowrie

8%of working residents work in town

17 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Gowrie

City in Iowa, USA

Gowrie is a city in Webster County, Iowa, United States. The population was 952 at the time of the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 1.4 sq mi
Elevation: 1,142 ft
ZIP code: 50543

Questions about Gowrie

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Gowrie, IA a good place to live?

Gowrie has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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