PatonIA
A town of 217, settled in 1875.
Is Paton a good place to live?
Paton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Paton stand out
Where Paton beats most towns.
217 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Paton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paton, and how to reach them.
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 Paton.
Paton stands out in Iowa and nationally: the average trip to work there is longer
Paton’s middle household income stands at $63,000, against $69,000 in Iowa’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. In Paton, 4.5% of working residents work locally. It had 209 jobs in 2023, up 22 from 2013. The top destinations are Jefferson (30%), Boone (7%) and Grand Junction (6%).
| Paton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Paton
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 10°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Paton’s typical home value is about $191K
85% of Paton households own their home, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Low risk in Paton, with drought at the top
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 63% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts two fifths of Paton’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 20% to tornadoes. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2008.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Paton looks like Iowa by age
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 22% of adults 25 and older, vs 31% across Iowa. By age, Paton looks like Iowa: each broad group is within 4 points. Its age of the median resident comes in at 35.2 years.
| Paton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
40% women, 60% men
About 151 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±10 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Paton | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.2% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.4% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
How healthy Paton is
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Paton. The share of adults in Paton who binge drink: 22%. 20% of adults in Paton smoke cigarettes; 75% had a checkup this year.
| Paton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Paton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.6% | 11.6% |
| More smokers | 19.6% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 60.8% | 66.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Paton
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paton; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Paton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Every workday, about 205 people come to Paton for work
Where Paton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Paton
City in Iowa, United States
Paton is a city in Greene County, Iowa, United States. The population was 221 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,102 ft
- ZIP code
- 50217
Questions about Paton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paton, IA a good place to live?
Paton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.