Jamaica Iowa 20080118 City Hall, 2009
Jamaica’s story
144 years in pictures
Census counts: 379 in 1910, 195 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1882Jamaica is settled
JamaicaIA
A town of 197, settled in 1882.
Photo: Ashton B Crew · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
197
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$180K
+4% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
37.5
years
Jobs based here
5
A commuter town
Is Jamaica a good place to live?
Jamaica’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower median rent than Jamaica. Jamaica has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
197 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 Jamaica: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jamaica, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jamaica’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 hereGuthrie County AuditorGuthrie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5012850128 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 Jamaica.
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Jamaica’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Jamaica for work: only 0% work in town. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Jamaica, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Panora (18%), Guthrie Center (8%) and Perry (6%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Jamaica0%
Panora18%
Guthrie Center8%
Perry6%
Sergeant Bluff5%
29 mi
median commute distance
5
jobs based in Jamaica
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Jamaica’s typical home value is about $180K
The typical Jamaica home is worth about $180,000, up 4% in a year, 24% below the Iowa typical home.
$180KZillow home value
Typical home value
Jamaica$180K
Iowa$237K
+4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Jamaica
Jamaica has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 11° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–62°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
High risk in Jamaica, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A smaller share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Jamaica than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
19% of Jamaica adults have been diagnosed with depression. Jamaica beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Jamaica adults binge drink.
| Jamaica | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Jamaica | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 72.5% | 66.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.6% | 84.1% |
Dallas County Hospital
11 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jamaica
16pages on Jamaica
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jamaica; the nearest are
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines32.9 miIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames36.1 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny37.1 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Jamaica residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Jamaica for work
Where Jamaica’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5jobs based in Jamaica
0%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Jamaica
City in Iowa, USA
Jamaica is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 195 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1882
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,033 ft
- ZIP code
- 50128
- Area code
- 641
Questions about Jamaica
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jamaica, IA a good place to live?
Jamaica has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.