Hull, IA, Dad's Welding Shop 2005, 2005
Hull’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1886Hull is settled
Photo: Vycl1994 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,457
2025 Census estimate · +3.8% since 2020
Typical home
$321K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
971
Balanced
Is Hull a good place to live?
Hull’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and health. On health, just 26 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Only 24 of Iowa’s 271 towns score lower on civic life. Hull has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Hull stand out
Where Hull beats most towns.
Typical home value
Hull$321K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA
3.7 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 90% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Iowa
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Hull | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 11.6% |
HealthA
Healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Boyden-Hull Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hull Protestant Reformed Christian School | K–8 | 133 |
| Boyden-Hull High School | 7–12 | 253 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
How Hull grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Hull is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →HealthHegg Memorial Health Center 7.7 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$72K median household incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 3.5% of households have no car; 3.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History7 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life5.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
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 36.3; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hull: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hull, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHull Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery other weekCurbside recyclingTown 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 hereSioux County AuditorSioux County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5123951239 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 Hull.
HealthA
A smaller share of adults in Hull sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
27% of Hull adults sleep under 7 hours, below both the Iowa town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 20% of adults binge drink in Hull. Hull beats the Iowa average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
87%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Hull | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Hull | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 12% |
Hegg Memorial Health Center
7.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Hull’s schools beat 70% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Boyden-Hull Community School District. Its two schools are below.
70%of IA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull Protestant Reformed Christian School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 133 | – |
| Boyden-Hull High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 253 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
Hull stands out in Iowa and nationally: the median rent there is lower
At $535 a month, Hull’s median rent is below both Iowa’s towns ($911 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 87% of Hull households own their home. The typical Hull home is worth about $321,000, up 2.1% in a year, 36% above the Iowa typical home.
$321KZillow home value
| Hull | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $535 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Hull$321K
Iowa$237K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Hull has four seasons and pleasant summers
Hull has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 8° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–82°
Fall37–60°
Oct 3
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in three of Hull’s working residents commute to Sioux Center
Most working residents leave Hull for work: only 14% work in town. Jobs based in Hull grew to 971 in 2023, 47 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Sioux Center (31%), Rock Valley (7%) and Orange City (6%).
14%work in town
| Hull | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hull14%
Sioux Center31%
Rock Valley7%
Orange City6%
Sheldon2%
9 mi
median commute distance
971
jobs based in Hull
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 63% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Hull
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
0% of Hull is conserved land
0.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Hull is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 915 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westside Park | — | 7 |
| 2. Eastside Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
| 3. Hubbling Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hull
19pages on Hull
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Hull
Dordt UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Center7.6 mi$37,050 tuitionNorthwest Iowa Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sheldon12.8 mi$7,350 in-state tuitionNorthwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Orange City13.7 mi$36,710 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Hull residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Famous people from Hull
7 notable people were born in Hull.
R
Randy FeenstraAmerican politician · born 1969
D
Dwayne AlonsAmerican politician · 1946–2014
L
Lee J. PlasierAmerican politician · born 1942About Hull
City in Iowa, United States
Hull is a city in Sioux County, Iowa. The population was 2,384 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,440 ft
- ZIP code
- 51239
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Hull
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hull, IA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Hull, IA known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Randy Feenstra and Alexander Grant Ruthven.