Malvern, IA, 2017
Malvern’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1871Malvern is settled
MalvernIA
A town of 1,073, settled in 1871. A typical home costs 3 years of the Omaha metro’s $85K median household income.
Population
1,073
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$251K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
194
A commuter town
Is Malvern a good place to live?
Malvern’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for schools and civic life; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher average trip to work than Malvern. Malvern has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Malvern stand out
Where Malvern beats most towns.
Typical home value
Malvern$251K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 93% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Library visits per resident
Malvern5.8
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical IA town4
Civic lifeA−
47% more library visits per person
than the typical Iowa town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
East Mills Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| East Mills Elementary School | PK–5 | 214 |
| East Mills Jr/Sr High School | 6–12 | 234 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,073 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Malvern grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Malvern is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthMontgomery County Memorial Hospital 19.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB+Open →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life5.8 library visits per resident; 10.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 86° summer afternoons, 24″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Malvern: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Malvern, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMalvern Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Malvern’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 hereMills County AuditorMills County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5155151551 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 Malvern.
SchoolsA−
Malvern’s schools rank ahead of 78% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the East Mills Community School District. Its two schools are below.
78%of IA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Mills Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 214 | C+ |
| East Mills Jr/Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 234 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Malvern’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Malvern for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Malvern fell to 194 in 2023, 31 fewer than in 2013. 6.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Malvern, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
7%work in town
| Malvern | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.7% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Malvern7%
Omaha19%
Glenwood10%
Council Bluffs8%
Red Oak6%
26 mi
median commute distance
194
jobs based in Malvern
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 57% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Malvern has four seasons and pleasant summers
Malvern has cold winters and warm summers. Only 6 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher July high than Malvern.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–36°
Spring40–63°
Summer63–84°
Fall41–64°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Malvern, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Iowa overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (37% statewide). Malvern has grown 3.5% since 2020, to 1,073 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. At 42.4 years, Malvern’s median age is where Iowa’s towns sit at 38.7 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years.
42.4median age · IA 38.6
| Malvern | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
MalvernIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school31%
Some college20%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.9 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Malvern | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.6% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.9% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Malvern are worth about $251K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Malvern home is worth about $251,000, up 2.6% in a year, 6% above the Iowa typical home. 84% of households own their home in Malvern.
$251KZillow home value
| Malvern | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $839 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Malvern$251K
Iowa$237K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Malvern is less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
Malvern tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 21% of Malvern adults binge drink.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Malvern | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Montgomery County Memorial Hospital
19.4 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 Malvern
18pages on Malvern
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Malvern; the nearest are
Bellevue UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bellevue, NE20.1 mi$9,903 tuitionIowa Western Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Council Bluffs21.6 mi$6,930 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterUniversity or college · Public · Omaha, NE26.8 mi
About 3 of every 100 Malvern residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Malvern for work
Where Malvern’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
194jobs based in Malvern
7%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Malvern
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Malvern, IA expensive?
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.
What is Malvern, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Dusty Miller and Dick Dorsey.