Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Maquoketa gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $202K, 2.7 years of the county’s $74K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 124th of 140 in Iowa. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its schools rank behind 91% of the state's, and the median household income is $60K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 32 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Hurstville Historic District and Maquoketa Free Public Library. Only 20 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on hazard risk. Maquoketa's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Maquoketa beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Seneca Williams Mill| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Elementary School | PK–2 | 260 |
| Briggs Elementary School | 3–5 | 207 |
| Sacred Heart Elementary School | PK–6 | 146 |
Census counts: 168 in 1850, 6,128 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1854 and 2 maps from 1891 on.
31 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Maquoketa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Maquoketa, 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 Maquoketa.
Maquoketa trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Iowa (mostly inland flooding).
Its public schools are run by the Maquoketa Community School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Maquoketa Community High School, with 477 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maquoketa Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 315 | D |
| Maquoketa Community High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 477 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
39% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Maquoketa, against 32% in Iowa’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Maquoketa. Maquoketa beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
| Maquoketa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Maquoketa | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 6.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Maquoketa’s violent crime rate is 4.1 per 1,000 residents, above both Iowa’s towns (1.5) and U.S. towns (1.6). Maquoketa’s property crime rate is 12.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Maquoketa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of Iowa towns, with expected losses of about $654 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Maquoketa is 72 of 100. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Maquoketa.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Maquoketa has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 13° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Maquoketa’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Dubuque (10%), Davenport (7%) and Cedar Rapids (5%).
| Maquoketa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 34% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $202K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 29 miles.
Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026.
| Maquoketa | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $795 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.1 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Prairie Creek Recreation Area, at 23 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Creek Recreation Area | — | 23 |
| 2. Horseshoe Pond County Park | — | 20 |
| 3. City Ball Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Maquoketa; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Maquoketa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
31 places in Maquoketa on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Maquoketa.
City in Iowa, United States
Maquoketa () is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County. It is a former sundown town according to the national registry of sundown towns. The population was 6,128 at the 2020 census. U.S. Route 61 adjoins the city, which therefore hosts traffic between Dubuque and the Quad Cities. Iowa Highways 62 and 64 also pass through the city. Maquoketa Caves State Park is located a few miles northwest of Maquoketa.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Maquoketa grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #124 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C− for health, C for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
12 notable people were born here, including Herbert E. Hitchcock and Norris Brown.
