Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pella is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, ranked 7th of 140 in Iowa. Its public schools beat 97% of Iowa towns on state tests and graduation, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 86% of the country, and the median household earns $84K. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. 41% of working residents work locally in Pella, above both the Iowa town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On hazard risk, just 4 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Dominie Henry P. Scholte House and Dirk Van Loon House.
Where Pella beats most towns.
Dirk Van Loon House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Elementary School | PK–3 | 401 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | PK–3 | 254 |
| Pella Christian Grade School | PK–8 | 562 |
Census counts: 1,644 in 1860, 10,464 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 2 maps from 1910 on.
20 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Pella is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pella, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Pella.
Pella has schools in the top 5% of Iowa, has less tooth loss than most of Iowa and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Iowa.
Its A+ ranks #3 of the 140 Iowa towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Pella Community School District. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pella High School, with 801 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | 494 | A |
| Pella High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 801 | A+ |
| Pella Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 375 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
The typical Pella home is worth about $359,000, up 2.3% in a year, 52% above the Iowa typical home. 63% of households own their home in Pella.
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,046 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Iowa is tooth loss: 6.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.6% statewide.
27% of Pella adults sleep under 7 hours. Pella beats the Iowa average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Pella adults binge drink.
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pella | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.1% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Pella since 2009.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.6 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Big Rock City Park, 56 acres with 2.3 miles of trail.
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Rock City Park | 2.3 mi | 56 |
| 2. West Market Park | 0.5 mi | 5 |
| 3. Caldwell Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 101 to 59 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 9 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Pella is 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 13.2°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 78% of Iowa places with climate records; July afternoons average 85°.
Pella has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. Pella’s January low is 13°F. About 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 13°F | 12°F | 22°F |
| July high | 85°F | 84°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 4,764 working residents takes 13.7 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
The top destinations are Des Moines (5%), Oskaloosa (3%) and Knoxville (3%).
| Pella | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pella
College town 15 of every 100 Pella residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
20 places in Pella on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Pella.
City in Iowa, United States
Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States, with a population of 10,464 at the time of the 2020 U.S. census. Founded by immigrants from the Netherlands, it is forty miles southeast of Des Moines. Pella is the home of Central College, as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Pella grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #7 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and A+ for schools.
That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($78,680 across the Pella, IA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
10 notable people were born here, including John Hospers and Dave Keuning.
