Mediapolis Iowa, 2009
Mediapolis’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 423 in 1880, 1,688 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1869Mediapolis is founded
MediapolisIA
A town of 1,660, founded in 1869.
Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,660
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$222K
+7.5% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
864
Balanced
Is Mediapolis a good place to live?
Mediapolis’ best subject grade is an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. Only 4 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of children under 18 than Mediapolis. Mediapolis has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
How Mediapolis grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Mediapolis is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →HealthSoutheast Iowa Regional Medical Center 13.7 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 4.4% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income$76K median household income; 864 jobs based hereC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC−Open →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life6.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mediapolis: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mediapolis, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMediapolis Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mediapolis’ 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 hereDes Moines County AuditorDes Moines County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5263752637 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 Mediapolis.
HealthB+
Mediapolis ranks healthier than 69% of the country’s towns
Mediapolis beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of adults binge drink in Mediapolis, against 20% in Iowa’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Mediapolis.
69%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Mediapolis | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Mediapolis | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 11.6% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.5% | 66.6% |
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center
13.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Mediapolis’ schools rank ahead of 61% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Mediapolis Community School District. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Mediapolis High School, with 312 students.
61%of IA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediapolis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 432 | B |
| Mediapolis High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 312 | A− |
| Mediapolis Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 222 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
More children than Iowa overall
Children under 18 are 32% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (37% statewide). 36% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Mediapolis, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%.
35.3median age · IA 38.6
| Mediapolis | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 25% | 29% |
MediapolisIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school29%
Some college14%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Mediapolis | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.3% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.4% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 14% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Mediapolis, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Mediapolis has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–34°
Spring41–61°
Summer63–83°
Fall43–63°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Mediapolis faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities.
65risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A job hub: Mediapolis has 1.2 jobs for every working resident and draws in 757 commuters
Most working residents leave Mediapolis for work: only 15% work in town. The average trip to work in Mediapolis is 24 minutes. The top destinations are Burlington (22%), West Burlington (12%) and Mount Pleasant (4%).
15%work in town
| Mediapolis | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Mediapolis15%
Burlington22%
West Burlington12%
Mount Pleasant4%
Davenport3%
14 mi
median commute distance
864
jobs based in Mediapolis
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B
The typical home in Mediapolis is valued at about $222K
The typical Mediapolis home is worth about $222,000, up 7.5% in a year, 6% below the Iowa typical home. 78% of Mediapolis households own their home.
$222KZillow home value
| Mediapolis | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,040 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Mediapolis$222K
Iowa$237K
+7.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 767 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cartwright Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mediapolis
19pages on Mediapolis
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mediapolis
About 2 of every 100 Mediapolis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Mediapolis
City in Iowa, United States
Mediapolis is a city in Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. Its population was 1,688 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 771 ft
- ZIP code
- 52637
- Area code
- 319
Questions about Mediapolis
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mediapolis, IA expensive?
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($62,811 across the Burlington, IA-IL 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.
What is Mediapolis, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Marianne V. Moore and William P. Battell.