North English, Iowa, 2014
North English’s story
174 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1852North English is settled
North EnglishIA
A town of 1,041, settled in 1852. 2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,041
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$140K
+5.8% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
40.2
years
Jobs based here
275
A commuter town
Is North English a good place to live?
The best of North English’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 5 of Iowa’s 276 towns score higher on cost of living. Only 8 of Iowa’s 271 towns score higher on civic life. North English has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes North English stand out
Where North English beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
North English17.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IA town7.5
Civic lifeA+
2.3 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Iowa town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
North English$140K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA+
2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,041 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How North English grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far North English is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $140K, 2 years of the county’s $71K median household incomeA+Open →Jobs & income$55K median household incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →HealthKeokuk County Health Center 15 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 42% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsB−Open →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life17.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.2; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to North English: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in North English, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorth English Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have North English’s 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 hereIowa County AuditorIowa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5231652316 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 North English.
HousingCost of living grade A+
North English stands out in Iowa and nationally: the median rent there is lower
North English’s median rent is $680 a month, below both the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 5.8% in the year to September 2026. 65% of North English households own their home.
$140KZillow home value
| North English | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $680 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
North English$140K
Iowa$237K
+5.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
North English’s schools rank behind 65% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the English Valleys Community School District. Its one school is below.
35%of IA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Valleys Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 183 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in North English is longer
North English’s average trip to work is 28 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 6.8% of working residents work locally in North English. Jobs based in North English fell to 275 in 2023, 26 fewer than in 2013.
7%work in town
| North English | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In North English7%
Iowa City12%
Cedar Rapids7%
Williamsburg6%
Homestead6%
28 mi
median commute distance
275
jobs based in North English
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in North English
North English has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–33°
Spring38–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–63°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in North English trails 63% of U.S. towns
North English beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than North English.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| North English | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 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% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | North English | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.7% |
Keokuk County Health Center
15 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in North English, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 385 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Environment Center | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about North English
19pages on North English
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of North English; the nearest are
University of IowaUniversity or college · Public · Iowa City29.7 mi$11,283 in-state tuitionKirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids35 mi$6,176 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 North English residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave North English for work
Where North English’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
275jobs based in North English
7%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About North English
City in Iowa, United States
North English is a city located mainly in Iowa county with a small portion in Keokuk county in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,065 at the time of the 2020 census. It is named for the English River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 820 ft
- ZIP code
- 52316
Questions about North English
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is North English, IA a good place to live?
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Is North English, IA expensive?
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+.