Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Humboldt gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $185K, 2.6 years of the county’s $72K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 86th of 140 in Iowa. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $74K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, 3% of its land is conserved. Humboldt’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both Iowa’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Humboldt has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Humboldt Free Public Library and Berkhimer Bridge.
Where Humboldt beats most towns.
3.3% of the town is conserved land, across 14 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Humboldt is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 335 in 1870, 4,792 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1864 and 2 maps from 1923 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Humboldt, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Humboldt.
4.9 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Eagle Ridge Park, at 34 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. John Brown Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 2. Eagle Ridge Park | — | 34 |
| 3. West River Ball Diamonds | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Humboldt Community School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 454 | B+ |
| Humboldt High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 464 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
At $740 a month, Humboldt’s median rent is against $913 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Typical home values rose 4.5% in the year to September 2026.
| Humboldt | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $740 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Humboldt has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 8° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Humboldt’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Humboldt is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Humboldt fell to 2,437 in 2023, 269 fewer than in 2013.
| Humboldt | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 35% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Humboldt.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). 25% of Humboldt residents are under 18. Humboldt has lost 2.4% of its people since 2020, down to 4,675 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Humboldt | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 25% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Humboldt | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.6% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,700, single groups can be off by several points
Humboldt beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Humboldt.
| Humboldt | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Humboldt | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Humboldt; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Humboldt residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
4 places in Humboldt on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Humboldt.
City in Iowa, US
Humboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,792 at the time of the 2020 census, gaining 102 people over the 2010 total.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Humboldt.
| Town | IA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt | #86 | B− | A− | — | B+ | B− |
| Dakota City | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Humboldt reports no FBI crime data of its own. Dakota City isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Humboldt with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Humboldt grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #86 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B− for health and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
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−.
7 notable people were born here, including Christian Clemenson and Frank Gotch.
