Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 894, settled in 1873.
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher average trip to work than Primghar. O'Brien County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Primghar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 143 in 1880, 896 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Primghar, 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 Primghar.
The typical Primghar home is worth about $184,000, up 11.8% in a year, 22% below the Iowa typical home. 82% of households own their home in Primghar, against 70% in Iowa’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The median rent in Primghar is $792 a month.
| Primghar | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $792 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the South O'Brien Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South O'Brien Elem School - Primghar CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 328 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Primghar has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 8° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Primghar for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Primghar has lost 70 jobs, to 339 in 2023. 6.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Primghar, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
| Primghar | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Primghar beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 19% of Primghar adults binge drink.
| Primghar | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Primghar | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Primghar’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Primghar City Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Primghar
About 4 of every 100 Primghar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
City in Iowa, USA
Primghar is a city in, and the county seat of, O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The population was 896 at the time of the 2020 census. Primghar is 23.5 miles south of Iowa State Highway 9, 28 miles east of Sioux Center, and 6.75 miles north of Iowa State Highway 10.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Primghar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Joseph N. Welch and Keli McGregor.