Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
39% of residents are 65 or older in Keosauqua, where Iowa’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher midpoint age than Keosauqua. Keosauqua has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Van Buren County Courthouse and Franklin Pearson House. Keosauqua has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Keosauqua beats most towns.
Census counts: 705 in 1850, 936 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1845 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Keosauqua, 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 Keosauqua.
Only 9 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower typical household income than Keosauqua. Since 2013, Keosauqua has lost 275 jobs, to 861 in 2023. The town’s average trip to work stands at 18 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 20 miles.
| Keosauqua | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. Public schools: the Van Buren County Community School District. The largest public high school is Van Buren County Community Middle & High School, with 354 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County Community Middle & High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 354 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Of the losses FEMA expects in Keosauqua, 46% come from inland flooding and 14% from tornadoes. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage here than in 78% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Keosauqua after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a higher peak summer temperature than Keosauqua. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 15° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Keosauqua home is worth about $207,000, up 5.4% in a year, 13% below the Iowa typical home. Just over four fifths of Keosauqua households live in a home they own.
| Keosauqua | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $480 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only one of the 141 Iowa towns we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Keosauqua. A fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression here. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Keosauqua is ahead of Iowa on 4 and behind on 13.
| Keosauqua | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Keosauqua | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.7% | 20.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.3% | 77.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.1% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails run 0.4 miles in 1 park or preserve. Only 5 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Keosauqua. One park or preserve covers 6 acres locally.
| Keosauqua | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Keosauqua; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Keosauqua residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
7 places in Keosauqua on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Keosauqua.
City in Iowa, United States
Keosauqua ( KEE-ə-SAW-kwə) is a city and the county seat of Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 936 at the time of the 2020 census. Keosauqua was settled by the Meskwaki and Sauk people until it became US territory in 1832 as part of the Black Hawk Purchase and was "laid out" by European settlers in 1839.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Keosauqua has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
9 notable people were born here, including John Elliott and Helen M. Walker.
