KelleyIA
A town of 307, settled in 1875.
Is Kelley a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Kelley. Kelley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
307 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Kelley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kelley, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kelley.
More young adults than Iowa overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 44% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 13% of residents (23% statewide). Kelley’s median age is 32.7 years, below both the Iowa town median (38.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 33% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Kelley.
| Kelley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 25% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 133 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.3 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kelley | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 40.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.9% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.8% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 28% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.6% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Kelley’s households own their home
49% of households own their home in Kelley, against 70% in Iowa’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.
| Kelley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $966 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kelley has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Kelley for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Kelley grew to 92 in 2023, 67 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Kelley is 22 minutes.
| Kelley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Kelley has four seasons and pleasant summers
Kelley has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Low risk in Kelley, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Kelley stands out in Iowa and nationally, with more of its adults who binge drink
26% of Kelley adults binge drink. Only 10 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Kelley. 18% of Kelley adults get no exercise outside work.
| Kelley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.5% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Kelley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.1% | 6.6% |
| More binge drinkers | 25.6% | 20.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Casey's Center and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kelley. Close and well known come first.
25 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
5 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum22 mi Theme parkAdventureland
25 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
25 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
24 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumPhoto credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
Everything we know about Kelley
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Kelley
About 3 of every 100 Kelley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
99% of working residents leave Kelley for work
Where Kelley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Kelley
City in Iowa, United States
Kelley is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 304 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Des Moines–West Des Moines–Ames Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1875
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,030 ft
- ZIP code
- 50134
Questions about Kelley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kelley, IA a good place to live?
Kelley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.