Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,122, settled in 1887.
The best of Lake View’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for the outdoors; the weakest is a C for incomes. 12% of residents are under 18 in Lake View, below both the Iowa town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher median age than Lake View. Lake View is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns. 19% of the land in Lake View is conserved, against 3.1% in Iowa’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 5 of Iowa’s 276 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Black Hawk State Park, at 95 acres. Lake View has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lake View beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Lake View is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 366 in 1890, 1,113 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1934 and a map from 1980 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake View, 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 Lake View.
People 65 and older are 43% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (23% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Lake View | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.6% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 22.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.3% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by the East Sac County Community School District. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is East Sac County High School, with 344 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Sac County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 344 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Black Hawk State Park | 0.6 mi | 95 |
| 2. Black Hawk Marsh Wildlife Management Area | 0.5 mi | 38 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lake View has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 9° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Lake View for work: only 15% work in town. The average trip to work in Lake View is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Sac City (9%), Carroll (9%) and Auburn (3%).
| Lake View | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Lake View’s property crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Lake View's reported crime rate is well below Iowa's. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025.
| Lake View | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Lake View home is worth about $248,000, up 12.4% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home. 85% of Lake View households own their home.
| Lake View | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $742 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
44% of adults have high blood pressure in Lake View. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Lake View. 14% of adults have diabetes in Lake View.
| Lake View | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Lake View | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.6% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Lake View; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Lake View residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
5 places in Lake View on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Iowa, USA
Lake View is a city in Sac County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,113 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 1,278 population in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Robert Presnell Sr and Kenny Gardner.
