Typical home values rose 12% in the year to September 2026. The share of households in Packwood who are owner-occupiers is 86%, above both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). For Packwood, the typical rent is $722 a month.

$154KZillow home value

	Packwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	86%	70%	73%
Median rent	$722 a month	$911 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Packwood$154K

Iowa$237K

+12%

value change, 1 year

Full pagePackwood’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 12% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.0 years of income Rents$722 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Packwood

The range runs from 14° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 22 inches of snow a winter.

22″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter17–34°

Spring39–61°

Summer62–83°

Fall41–63°

Oct 12

typical first frost

Apr 27

typical last frost

+0.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePackwood’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 85°, January lows 14°Rain & snow22″ of snow a winter · 38 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Top of a low hazard risk in Packwood: drought

Packwood’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 33 of 100. Expected losses in Packwood break down as 27% from drought and 26% from inland flooding. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2007.

33risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

DroughtInland floodingTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

Full pagePackwood’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Packwood Get ready13 events a year, on average · Ready for drought

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

Packwood stands out in Iowa and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally

Packwood had 89 jobs in 2023, down 33 from 2013. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Packwood. In Packwood, the average commute is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Fairfield (36%), Mount Pleasant (4%) and Des Moines (4%).

1%work in town

	Packwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	1.3%	31%	8%
Below the poverty line	0.7%	11%	9.6%
Average trip to work	20 minutes	19 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Packwood1%

Fairfield36%

Mount Pleasant4%

Des Moines4%

Maharishi Vedic City3%

12 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Packwood

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Full pagePackwood’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here89 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work1% work in Packwood Commute times20 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 12 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

More of Packwood’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town

The share of adults in Packwood who binge drink is 19%, below Iowa’s towns (20%) but above U.S. towns (16%). No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher share of adults who have obesity than Packwood. Packwood: 14% of adults have diabetes. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Packwood is ahead of Iowa on 3 and behind on 13.

	Packwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	46%	38%	35%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	43%	35%	35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	14%	12%	12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	16%	13%	14%

32 measures vs. Iowa

3 better16 too close to call13 worse

What stands out	Packwood	IA
More adults treating high blood pressure	82.1%	77.8%
More adults getting a yearly checkup	81.7%	77.5%
More adults with COPD	9.6%	6.9%

Jefferson County Health Center

11.8 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pagePackwood’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby11.8 miles to an ER · Jefferson County Health Center How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than IA on 3 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0% of Packwood is conserved land

0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

0%conserved

conserved · 0 of 476 acres

0.0 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Rambler Park	—	4

Full pagePackwood’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.0 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk4 acres · Rambler Park Conserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Packwood?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Packwood

18pages on Packwood

The big questions

HealthBetter than IA on 3 of 32 CDC measures Cost of living$154K typical home · up 12% in a year Work & commute$52K median household income · 89 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 33% of U.S. communities · drought

Out and about

Outdoors0 mi of trails · 0% conserved land PlacesAttractions11 nearby · International Video Game Hall of Fame 18 mi LibraryRichland Public Library CollegesMaharishi International University is 10 mi away

The story

HistorySettled 1883 Famous people2 born in Packwood Town Hall & politicsClimate85° summer highs · 22″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 52580 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Packwood

Maharishi International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fairfield10 mi$16,530 tuition

About 5 of every 100 Packwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Packwood

City in Iowa, United States

Packwood is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 183 at the time of the 2020 census. The Burlington and Western Railway arrived in Packwood in late 1882. This was a narrow gauge line, widened to standard gauge in 1902 and taken over by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and then sold to the Minneapolis and St. Louis in 1934.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 0.8 sq mi
Elevation: 810 ft
ZIP code: 52580

Questions about Packwood

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Packwood, IA a good place to live?

Packwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What is Packwood, IA known for?

2 notable people were born here, including Matthew Christopher and Adrian Dickey.

Post to Packwood

Check your email

PackwoodIA

Is Packwood a good place to live?

180 people, and everyone knows the way

143 years in pictures

Moving to Packwood: who provides what

The data

Homes in Packwood are worth about $154K, by Zillow’s estimate