Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Missouri Valley gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $234K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Omaha metro’s $85K median household income. It grades B overall, 73rd among Iowa's 140 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 77% of Iowa towns on state tests and graduation. Missouri Valley’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both the Iowa town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Among 140 Iowa towns, just 7 have a higher July high than Missouri Valley. Missouri Valley is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Missouri Valley beats most towns.
2.4% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Missouri Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,154 in 1880, a peak of 4,230 in 1930, 2,678 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Missouri Valley. Close and well known come first.
17 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
23 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
7 mi Ancient siteBertrand
9 mi LandmarkFort Atkinson
21 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
20 mi MuseumUSS HazardLoess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Bertrand: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · USS Hazard: Dave Aldworth / Oldfarm at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Missouri Valley, 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 Missouri Valley.
Missouri Valley trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and sends many workers across the state line to Blair, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
4.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Summit Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Missouri Valley Dog Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Missouri Valley City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Missouri Valley Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 359 | C+ |
| Missouri Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 228 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Missouri Valley has cold winters and warm summers. Missouri Valley’s January low is 12°F, against 12°F in Iowa’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
40% of working residents cross a state line to work, Blair among the top destinations. Missouri Valley has about as many jobs (1,138) as working residents, but only 269 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Missouri Valley’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Missouri Valley fell to 1,138 in 2023, 343 fewer than in 2013. The average trip to work in Missouri Valley is 24 minutes.
| Missouri Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 134 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Missouri Valley.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Missouri Valley beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Missouri Valley.
| Missouri Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Missouri Valley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes rose from 16 to 32 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Missouri Valley’s violent crime rate is 3.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Missouri Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $234K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles.
Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.
| Missouri Valley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $753 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Missouri Valley; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Missouri Valley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
4 notable people were born in Missouri Valley.
City in Iowa, USA
Missouri Valley is a city in Harrison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,678 at the time of the 2020 census.
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. Missouri Valley grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #73 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
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+.
4 notable people were born here, including Margarita Fischer and Hugh A. Butler.
