City Hall Library, 2025
Linden’s story
160 years in pictures
Census counts: 314 in 1900, 200 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
- 1866Linden is settled
LindenIA
A town of 210, settled in 1866.
Photo: Mostly Iowa Edits · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
210
2025 Census estimate · +5% since 2020
Typical home
$278K
+3.5% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
7
A commuter town
Is Linden a good place to live?
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Linden. Linden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
210 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 Linden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Linden, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Linden’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 hereDallas County Elections OfficeDallas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2026
ZIP code5014650146 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 Linden.
Work & commute
Linden stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
1.1% of Linden working residents work locally, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Linden’s average trip to work is 29 minutes. The top destinations are Perry (9%), Des Moines (9%) and West Des Moines (8%).
1%work in town
| Linden | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Linden1%
Perry9%
Des Moines9%
West Des Moines8%
Urbandale5%
25 mi
median commute distance
7
jobs based in Linden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Drought leads a low hazard risk in Linden
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Linden has four seasons and pleasant summers
Linden has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring38–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–63°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Linden’s households own their home
55% of Linden households own their home, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%. The typical Linden home is worth about $278,000, up 3.5% in a year, 17% above the Iowa typical home.
$278KZillow home value
Typical home value
Linden$278K
Iowa$237K
+3.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Linden is
Linden beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Linden. Only 1 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Linden.
| Linden | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better27 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Linden | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.4% | 84.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.7% |
Guthrie County Hospital
11.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Linden
16pages on Linden
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Linden; the nearest are
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines24.4 miDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny34.3 mi$5,790 in-state tuitionIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames41.5 mi$10,787 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Linden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Linden for work
Where Linden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
7jobs based in Linden
1%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Linden
City in Iowa, United States
Linden is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 226 in the 2000 census and 200 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,119 ft
- ZIP code
- 50146
Questions about Linden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Linden, IA a good place to live?
Linden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.