Untitled photo, 2018
Jewell Junction’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 414 in 1890, 1,216 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1978 on.
- 1880Jewell Junction is platted
Jewell JunctionIA
A town of 1,238, platted in 1880. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: Rowen Hansen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,238
2025 Census estimate · +2.1% since 2020
Median home value
$148K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
42.9
years
Jobs based here
288
A commuter town
Is Jewell Junction a good place to live?
The best of Jewell Junction’s subject grades are an A+ for schools and civic life and an A for cost of living. Only 10 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Jewell Junction. Jewell Junction has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Jewell Junction stand out
Where Jewell Junction beats most towns.
Small town
1,238 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Jewell Junction grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Jewell Junction is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $148K, 2 years of the county’s $72K median household incomeAOpen →HealthVan Diest Medical Center 13.2 miles awayB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →Jobs & income$81K median household incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5% conserved landB−Open →HistoryPlatted 1880B−Open →Civic life5.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jewell Junction: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jewell Junction, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jewell Junction’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 hereHamilton County AuditorHamilton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5013050130 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 Jewell Junction.
SchoolsA+
Public schools in Jewell Junction beat 96% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the South Hamilton Community School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is South Hamilton Middle And High School, with 300 students.
96%of IA districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hamilton ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 370 | A |
| South Hamilton Middle And High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 300 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Jewell Junction’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Jewell Junction for work: only 9% work in town. 6.5% of Jewell Junction residents live below the poverty line, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Jewell Junction grew to 288 in 2023, 23 more than in 2013.
9%work in town
| Jewell Junction | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 9.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Jewell Junction9%
Ames22%
Story City11%
Webster City6%
Fort Dodge2%
19 mi
median commute distance
288
jobs based in Jewell Junction
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 48% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Jewell Junction is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Jewell Junction beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Jewell Junction adults binge drink, where Iowa’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 16%. 31% of Jewell Junction adults sleep under 7 hours.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Jewell Junction | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Jewell Junction | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.1% | 66.8% |
Van Diest Medical Center
13.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Jewell Junction has four seasons and pleasant summers
Jewell Junction has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall39–61°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Iowa overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (37% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Jewell Junction has grown 2.1% since 2020, to 1,238 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
42.9median age · IA 38.6
| Jewell Junction | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.9 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
Jewell JunctionIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school27%
Some college22%
Associate’s21%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.1 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Jewell Junction | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.5% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.9% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsB−
Jewell Junction has set aside 5.1% of its land for conservation
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Jewell Junction’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
5.1%conserved
| Jewell Junction | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.1% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
5.1%
conserved · 128 of 2,535 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jewell Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Jewell Junction
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jewell Junction
18pages on Jewell Junction
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jewell Junction; the nearest are
Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames19.7 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionEllsworth Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Iowa Falls24.2 mi$5,496 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Jewell Junction residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Jewell Junction for work
Where Jewell Junction’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
288jobs based in Jewell Junction
9%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Jewell Junction
City in Iowa, USA
Jewell Junction, better known as Jewell, is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,216 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,056 ft
- ZIP code
- 50130
Questions about Jewell Junction
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jewell Junction, IA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Is Jewell Junction, 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.