Downtown, 2020
Olin’s story
154 years in pictures
Census counts: 362 in 1880, 651 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872Olin is settled
OlinIA
A town of 656, settled in 1872.
Hale Bridge · Photo: Joseph Elliott · Public domain
Population
656
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$193K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
32.6
years
Jobs based here
70
A commuter town
Is Olin a good place to live?
Olin’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both Iowa’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Hale Bridge and Business Part of Olin Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Olin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
656 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Olin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Olin, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOlin 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 Olin’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 hereJones County AuditorJones County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5232052320 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 Olin.
Schools
The schools Olin’s kids attend
Public schools: the Olin Consolidated School District. Its one school is below. Enrollment at the town’s public school: 74 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 74 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Olin stands out in Iowa and nationally: the average trip to work there is longer
For Olin, the income of the median household is $52,000. In Olin, a fifth of residents live below the poverty line, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jobs based locally fell to 70 in 2023, 28 fewer than in 2013. Half the trips to work are shorter than 29 miles.
0%work in town
| Olin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Olin0%
Cedar Rapids24%
Anamosa8%
Monticello5%
Iowa City5%
29 mi
median commute distance
70
jobs based in Olin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Olin is inland flooding, at a high overall level
FEMA puts 64% of Olin’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 11% to tornadoes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 25 claims locally since 1993.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
25
paid flood claims since 1993
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Olin brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Winters in Olin are cold, snowy and summers pleasant. Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 12°; snowfall runs to about 40 inches a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–61°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Olin’s typical home value is about $193K
Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026. The typical rent in Olin is $788 a month. 67% of households own their home locally.
$193KZillow home value
| Olin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $788 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Olin$193K
Iowa$237K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Olin is
The share of adults in Olin who say their health is fair or poor: 20%. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Olin. Two figures for adults locally: 19% smoke cigarettes, 41% have obesity.
| Olin | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Olin | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.4% | 11.6% |
| More smokers | 18.7% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 6.9% |
Jones Regional Medical Center
9.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.9%conserved
1.9%
conserved · 13 of 658 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Olin City Park | 0.3 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Olin
19pages on Olin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Olin; the nearest are
Cornell CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mount Vernon15.4 mi$52,660 tuitionKirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids26.9 mi$6,176 in-state tuitionUniversity of IowaUniversity or college · Public · Iowa City30.8 mi$11,283 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Olin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Olin for work
Where Olin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
70jobs based in Olin
0%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Olin
City in Iowa, United States
Olin is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. The population was 651 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
- ZIP code
- 52320
Questions about Olin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Olin, IA a good place to live?
Olin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.