Orleans, Iowa city hall, 2006
Orleans’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1894Orleans is settled
Photo: en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
493
2025 Census estimate · −5.2% since 2020
Typical home
$684K
+6.1% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
60.3
years
Jobs based here
31
A commuter town
Is Orleans a good place to live?
Orleans’ median age is 60.3 years, above both Iowa’s towns (38.7 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 140 in Iowa we compare has a higher typical home value than Orleans. 19% of the land in Orleans is conserved, where Iowa’s towns sit at 3.1% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Marble Beach State Recreation Area, at 54 acres. Orleans has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
493 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Spirit LakeOrleans
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Orleans: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orleans, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSpirit Lake Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTwice a month, FriCurbside recyclingTown site
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 hereDickinson County AuditorDickinson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5136051360 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 Orleans.
Housing
A larger share of households own their home in Orleans than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
92% of Orleans households own their home. Typical home values rose 6.1% in the year to September 2026. The typical Orleans home is worth about $684,000, up 6.1% in a year, 3 times the Iowa typical home.
$684KZillow home value
Typical home value
Orleans$684K
Iowa$237K
+6.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Orleans stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
1% of working residents work locally in Orleans. Jobs based in Orleans fell to 31 in 2023, 21 fewer than in 2013. 1.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Orleans.
1%work in town
| Orleans | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Orleans1%
Spirit Lake32%
Spencer7%
Milford6%
Estherville6%
9 mi
median commute distance
31
jobs based in Orleans
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Outdoors
Orleans has set aside 18.5% of its land for conservation
0.1 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
18.5%conserved
18.5%
conserved · 134 of 725 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marble Beach State Recreation Area | — | 54 |
| 2. Templar State Recreation Area | — | 25 |
| 3. Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Orleans, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Orleans has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Orleans is 83°F.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring35–56°
Summer59–81°
Fall37–59°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Orleans
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Orleans is
Orleans beats the Iowa average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Orleans.
| Orleans | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 21% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
16 better10 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Orleans | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.1% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.5% | 6.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.4% | 8.7% |
Lakes Regional Healthcare
3.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Orleans
17pages on Orleans
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Orleans
About 2 of every 100 Orleans residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Orleans for work
Where Orleans’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
31jobs based in Orleans
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Orleans
City in Iowa, USA
Orleans is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 521 at the time of the 2020 census. Orleans is part of the Iowa Great Lakes region, located along Spirit Lake. Numerous state parks are located within a few miles of the town, including Marble Beach and Mini-Wakan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,407 ft
Questions about Orleans
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Orleans, IA a good place to live?
Orleans has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.