Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Le Mars gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $280K, 3.4 years of the Le Mars area’s $83K median household income. It grades A− overall, 41st among Iowa's 140 graded towns. On the plus side, it has 5 miles of trail. 51% of working residents work locally in Le Mars, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. Only 12 of Iowa’s 271 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is West Floyd Park, at 124 acres.
Where Le Mars beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Le Mars is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,036 in 1890, 10,571 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Le Mars, 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 Le Mars.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Floyd Park | 0.1 mi | 124 |
| 2. Le Mars Municipal Park | — | 38 |
| 3. Riverview Park | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Le Mars Community School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Le Mars High School, with 662 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Mars Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 487 | B |
| Le Mars High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 662 | B+ |
| Franklin Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 261 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Le Mars has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 9° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Le Mars since 1985.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
62% of households own their home in Le Mars. The typical Le Mars home is worth about $280,000, up 4.3% in a year, 18% above the Iowa typical home.
| Le Mars | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $929 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Le Mars tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 21% of Le Mars adults binge drink.
| Le Mars | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average trip to work in Le Mars is 16 minutes. Jobs based in Le Mars grew to 8,353 in 2023, 1,292 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Sioux City (10%), Sioux Center (3%) and Orange City (3%).
| Le Mars | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 9.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 108 to 78 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Le Mars; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Le Mars residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
8 places in Le Mars on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Le Mars.
City in Iowa, USA
Le Mars is a city and the county seat of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. It is located on the Floyd River northeast of Sioux City. The population was 10,571 at the time of the 2020 census. Le Mars is located within America Township and is part of the Sioux City metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Le Mars grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #41 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B for health, B for safety and B for schools.
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−.
13 notable people were born here, including Clyde Kluckhohn and Gregory Kelly.
