Parnell, Iowa, 2015
Parnell’s story
142 years in pictures
Census counts: 318 in 1900, a peak of 369 in 1910, 194 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1968 on.
- 1884Parnell is settled
ParnellIA
A town of 191, settled in 1884.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
191
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$325K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
34.6
years
Jobs based here
12
A commuter town
Is Parnell a good place to live?
4.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Parnell, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. Parnell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
191 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 Parnell: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Parnell, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Parnell’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 code5232552325 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 Parnell.
Housing
The typical home in Parnell is valued at about $325K
The typical Parnell home is worth about $325,000, up 5.9% in a year, 37% above the Iowa typical home.
$325KZillow home value
Typical home value
Parnell$325K
Iowa$237K
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Parnell’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Parnell for work: only 0% work in town. Parnell’s average trip to work is 24 minutes, above the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and near the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 13% of Parnell residents live below the poverty line.
0%work in town
| Parnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Parnell0%
Iowa City24%
Williamsburg18%
Cedar Rapids6%
Marengo4%
23 mi
median commute distance
12
jobs based in Parnell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Parnell
Parnell 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°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–62°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Parnell’s adults have obesity
45% of adults have obesity in Parnell. Parnell beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 10% of adults have diabetes in Parnell.
| Parnell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Parnell | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 11.6% |
Compass Memorial Healthcare
15.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Parnell faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Parnell
17pages on Parnell
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Parnell; the nearest are
University of IowaUniversity or college · Public · Iowa City24.8 mi$11,283 in-state tuitionKirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids29 mi$6,176 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Parnell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Parnell for work
Where Parnell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
12jobs based in Parnell
0%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Parnell
City in Iowa, United States
Parnell is a city in Iowa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 194 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1884
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- ZIP code
- 52325
Questions about Parnell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Parnell, IA a good place to live?
Parnell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Parnell, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including William Edwin Franklin and Patsy Gharrity.