LeightonIowaEbenezerChurch, 2025
Leighton’s story
161 years in pictures
Census counts: 145 in 1880, 158 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1910 on.
- 1865Leighton is settled
LeightonIA
A town of 152, settled in 1865.
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
152
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$297K
+10.5% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
22
A commuter town
Is Leighton a good place to live?
2% of residents live below the poverty line in Leighton, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Leighton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
152 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Leighton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Leighton, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Leighton’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 hereMahaska County AuditorMahaska County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5014350143 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 Leighton.
Work & commute
Most of Leighton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
The average commute for Leighton comes to 21 minutes, where Iowa’s towns sit at 19 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The median commute is under 22 miles. The top destinations are Pella (14%), Oskaloosa (12%) and Des Moines (6%).
0%work in town
| Leighton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Leighton0%
Pella14%
Oskaloosa12%
Des Moines6%
Grinnell4%
22 mi
median commute distance
22
jobs based in Leighton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
The typical home in Leighton: about $297K
In Leighton, the median rent is $770 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 11% in value. Among households in the town, 80% live in a home they own.
$297KZillow home value
| Leighton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $770 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Leighton$297K
Iowa$237K
+10.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Leighton is inland flooding, at a low overall level
FEMA puts 43% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 16% to drought. In Leighton, the risk rating from FEMA is 32 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Leighton after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Leighton brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Summers in Leighton are warm, and winters cold, snowy. Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 13°; snowfall runs to about 30 inches a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall41–63°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Iowa overall
Leighton’s median age comes in at 42.5 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). Here, a quarter of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 31% in Iowa as a whole.
42.5median age · IA 38.6
| Leighton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 25% | 29% |
LeightonIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school27%
Some college31%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 124 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.1 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Leighton | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.7% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.1% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.8% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.8% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Health
Leighton stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression
Leighton: 16% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Of 32 CDC measures, Leighton beats the Iowa average on 8 and trails it on 1. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Leighton.
| Leighton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
8 better23 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Leighton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.7% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 12% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 8.7% |
Pella Regional Health Center
8.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Leighton
17pages on Leighton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Leighton
William Penn UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Oskaloosa7.5 mi$29,750 tuitionCentral CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pella8.3 mi$20,988 tuition
About 0 of every 100 Leighton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Leighton for work
Where Leighton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
22jobs based in Leighton
0%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Leighton
City in Iowa, United States
Leighton is a city in Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. The population was 158 in the 2020 United States census, an increase from 153 in the 2000 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 774 ft
- ZIP code
- 50143
Questions about Leighton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Leighton, IA a good place to live?
Leighton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.