Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Red Oak earns a D, ranked 133rd of 140 in Iowa, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $50K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 11 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Chautauqua Park and Red Oak Public Library. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower median household income than Red Oak. The biggest park or preserve is Legion Park, at 21 acres.
Where Red Oak beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,315 in 1870, 5,596 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1978 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Red Oak is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Red Oak, 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 Red Oak.
Red Oak is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Iowa rate.
2.8 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. At 0.7 miles per square mile, Red Oak’s trail density is above both Iowa’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4).
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wilson Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 2. Legion Park | — | 21 |
| 3. Chautauqua Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Red Oak Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Red Oak Junior/Senior High School, with 420 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inman Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 461 | C− |
| Red Oak Junior/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 420 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Against the 5,838 U.S. towns with household incomes like Red Oak’s, it is less healthy than 59%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
37% of Red Oak adults sleep under 7 hours, above both the Iowa town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Red Oak. Red Oak beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Red Oak | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 6.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.6% | 3.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 2.1 years of the county’s $64K median household income, the typical home (about $134K) costs less against local pay than in 87% of Iowa towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Values fell 3.5% in the past year while the Iowa typical home rose 3.3%.
The typical Red Oak home is worth about $134,000, 43% below the Iowa typical home. 60% of Red Oak households own their home.
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $812 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The violent crime rate in Red Oak is 4.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 13.4°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 80% of Iowa places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.7°.
Red Oak has cold winters and warm summers. Red Oak’s January low is 13°F. About 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 13°F | 12°F | 22°F |
| July high | 86°F | 84°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Red Oak.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
About one in 3 of Red Oak’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Red Oak has lost 162 jobs, to 2,222 in 2023. The top destinations are Omaha (6%), Council Bluffs (4%) and Clarinda (3%).
| Red Oak | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Red Oak; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Red Oak residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
10 places in Red Oak on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Red Oak.
City in Iowa, United States
Red Oak is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 5,596 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 6,197 population in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Red Oak grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #133 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C− for health, C for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. That is 2.1 years of the area's median household income ($63,666 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
12 notable people were born here, including Fred Lawrence Whipple and Joni Ernst.
