Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
61% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Madrid gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $283K for a typical one, or 3.9 years of the Ames metro’s $73K median household income. It grades A− overall, ranked 56th of 140 in Iowa. On the plus side, the median household earns $90K. Madrid's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. 6.5% of working residents work locally in Madrid, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Madrid.
Where Madrid beats most towns.
Carl and Ulrika Dalander Cassel House2,543 counted in 2010 and 2,802 in 2020; an estimated 2,820 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 10.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Madrid is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 200 in 1880, 2,802 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Madrid, 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 Madrid.
Most working residents leave Madrid for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Madrid fell to 512 in 2023, 78 fewer than in 2013. 6.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Madrid.
| Madrid | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Madrid Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 259 | C |
| Madrid High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 195 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Madrid beats the Iowa average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Madrid adults binge drink.
| Madrid | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Madrid | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 12% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.3% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Madrid has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Madrid home is worth about $283,000, up 2% in a year, 19% above the Iowa typical home.
| Madrid | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,029 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Iowa average. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Madrid | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 67% are men (IA 51%).
| Madrid | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.3% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.1% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,800, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Madrid.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Madrid | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Edgewood Park | 0.4 mi | 17 |
| 2. High Trestle Trail | — | 7 |
| 3. Dallander Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Madrid. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
23 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol23 mi Theme parkAdventureland
14 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
21 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
21 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumCasey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
2 within 15 miles of the center of Madrid
About 1 of every 100 Madrid residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Madrid’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Madrid ( MAD-rid) is a city in Douglas Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,802 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical 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. Madrid grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #56 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B+ for health and C+ 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 B+.
