Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Montezuma’s best subject grade is an A for history; its weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 7 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Montezuma. Montezuma is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. Only 17 of Iowa’s 276 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is Diamond Lake Park, at 120 acres. Montezuma has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Montezuma beats most towns.
Poweshiek County CourthouseIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Montezuma is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Montezuma, 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 Montezuma.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Montezuma Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 218 | A |
| Montezuma High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 140 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
The typical Montezuma home is worth about $291,000, up 10.5% in a year, 23% above the Iowa typical home. Montezuma’s median rent is $858 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Montezuma has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Montezuma’s working residents works in town. Montezuma’s average trip to work is 17 minutes, near the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Montezuma has lost 254 jobs, to 955 in 2023.
| Montezuma | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Diamond Lake Park | — | 120 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
42% of Montezuma adults have obesity.
| Montezuma | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Montezuma | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Montezuma; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Montezuma residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
3 places in Montezuma on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Montezuma.
City in Iowa, United States
Montezuma is a city in and the county seat of Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,442 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.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
6 notable people were born here, including Clyde King and Dan Johnston.
