MaharishiVedicCity1, 2009
Maharishi Vedic City’s story
25 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and a map from 1980 on.
- 2001Maharishi Vedic City is settled
Maharishi Vedic CityIA
A town of 281, settled in 2001.
Photo: Keithbob at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
281
2025 Census estimate · +3.3% since 2020
Typical home
$251K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
67.5
years
Jobs based here
97
A commuter town
Is Maharishi Vedic City a good place to live?
80% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Maharishi Vedic City, above both Iowa’s towns (25%) and U.S. towns (29%). Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher age of the median resident than Maharishi Vedic City. Maharishi Vedic City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
281 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 Maharishi Vedic City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Maharishi Vedic City, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMaharishi Vedic City Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Maharishi Vedic City’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 hereJefferson County AuditorJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5255652556 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 Maharishi Vedic City.
Work & commute
Maharishi Vedic City has 0.7 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
4.5% of working residents work locally in Maharishi Vedic City. Jobs based in the town fell to 97 in 2023, 82 fewer than in 2013. The mean commuting time in the town is 17 minutes. The top destinations are Fairfield (28%), Ottumwa (6%) and Des Moines (3%).
5%work in town
| Maharishi Vedic City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Maharishi Vedic City5%
Fairfield28%
Ottumwa6%
Des Moines3%
Keosauqua2%
10 mi
median commute distance
97
jobs based in Maharishi Vedic City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Maharishi Vedic City’s year
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–35°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Low risk in Maharishi Vedic City, with drought at the top
27% of Maharishi Vedic City’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 26%. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in two thirds of U.S. communities.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults had a checkup this year in Maharishi Vedic City than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
Among 141 Iowa towns, just one has a higher share of adults who have obesity than Maharishi Vedic City. The share of adults in Maharishi Vedic City who have high blood pressure: 54%. This Iowa town does better than the Iowa average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 12.
| Maharishi Vedic City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
9 better11 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Maharishi Vedic City | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.6% | 20.5% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 12.2% | 6.6% |
Jefferson County Health Center
5.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Maharishi Vedic City stands out in Iowa and nationally, with fewer of its households who own their home
Zillow values the typical Maharishi Vedic City home at about $251,000, up 1.7% in a year, 6% above the Iowa typical home. Its median rent comes in at $1,096 a month.
$251KZillow home value
| Maharishi Vedic City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,096 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Maharishi Vedic City$251K
Iowa$237K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0% of Maharishi Vedic City is conserved land
1.8 miles of trail. In Maharishi Vedic City, the trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,125 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Maharishi Vedic City
17pages on Maharishi Vedic City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Maharishi Vedic City
About 8 of every 100 Maharishi Vedic City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Maharishi Vedic City for work
Where Maharishi Vedic City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
97jobs based in Maharishi Vedic City
5%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Maharishi Vedic City
City in Iowa, United States
Maharishi Vedic City (MVC) is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 277 at the time of the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City" five months later. It was the first city to incorporate in Iowa since 1982. Maharishi Vedic City consists of approximately three square miles, located about four miles north of Fairfield, the home of Maharishi University of Management. The city plan and buildings are based on Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, which is said to be an ancient system of architecture and design, revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Its goals are to "protect, nourish, and satisfy e…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 2001
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 791 ft
Questions about Maharishi Vedic City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Maharishi Vedic City, IA a good place to live?
Maharishi Vedic City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.