Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Morning Sun’s trail network density is 1.0 miles per square mile, where Iowa’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Bethel Church and Fairview Church and Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Morning Sun has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Morning Sun beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 226 in 1860, 752 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1874 and a map from 1981 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Morning Sun, 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 Morning Sun.
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Morning Sun. This Iowa town had 159 jobs in 2023, down 185 from 2013. In Morning Sun, the typical journey to work is 23 minutes. The middle household income for Morning Sun comes to $56,000, below both the Iowa town median ($69,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
| Morning Sun | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. The Morning Sun Community School District runs its public schools. 119 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Sun Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 119 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
In Morning Sun, 84% of households own their home. The rent at the middle of the market for Morning Sun comes to $869 a month.
| Morning Sun | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $869 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. 43% of Morning Sun’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by strong winds at 17%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Morning Sun after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For adults in Morning Sun, the share who get no exercise outside work is 27%. Among adults locally, 39% have obesity and 16% smoke cigarettes.
| Morning Sun | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Morning Sun | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.9% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails total 0.8 miles in 1 park or preserve. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 3 have a lower share of conserved land than Morning Sun.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hoover Nature Trail | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Morning Sun; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Morning Sun residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Morning Sun’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Morning Sun is a city in Morning Sun Township, Louisa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 752 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Morning Sun has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Clifford Roberts and Bill Edgar.