IAMap-doton-Remsen, 2004
Remsen’s story
150 years in pictures
Census counts: 580 in 1890, 1,678 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
- 1876Remsen is settled
RemsenIA
A town of 1,663, settled in 1876.
Population
1,663
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$280K
+4.9% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
41.7
years
Jobs based here
555
A commuter town
Is Remsen a good place to live?
Remsen’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for schools. Only 2 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Remsen. Remsen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Remsen stand out
Where Remsen beats most towns.
Typical home value
Remsen$280K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA
3.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Remsen-Union Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Remsen-Union Elementary School | PK–4 | 123 |
| Remsen-Union Middle School | 5–8 | 189 |
| St. Mary's School | PK–12 | 214 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests
NCES · EDFacts.
A commuter town
85% of working residents leave Remsen for work
Where Remsen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
555jobs based in Remsen
15%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Remsen grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Remsen is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 4.2% of households have no car; 4.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns; Floyd Valley Healthcare 9.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC−Open →History4 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life7.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Remsen: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Remsen, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of RemsenEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterRemsen Municipal UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Remsen’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 herePlymouth County AuditorPlymouth County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5105051050 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 Remsen.
SchoolsA−
Remsen’s schools rank ahead of 81% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Remsen-Union Community School District. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
81%of IA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remsen-Union Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 189 | B+ |
| St. Mary's School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 214 | – |
| Remsen-Union Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 123 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Remsen stands out in Iowa and nationally, with fewer of its residents who live below the poverty line
3% of residents live below the poverty line in Remsen, below both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The median household income in Remsen is $91,000. Jobs based in Remsen grew to 555 in 2023, 54 more than in 2013.
15%work in town
| Remsen | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Remsen15%
Le Mars28%
Sioux City7%
Orange City7%
Sioux Center2%
13 mi
median commute distance
555
jobs based in Remsen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Remsen, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Remsen has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 9° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring36–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall38–61°
Oct 4
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Remsen
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
Remsen’s typical home value is about $280K
The typical Remsen home is worth about $280,000, up 4.9% in a year, 19% above the Iowa typical home. 79% of households own their home in Remsen, against 70% in Iowa’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
$280KZillow home value
| Remsen | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $938 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Remsen$280K
Iowa$237K
+4.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
A smaller share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Remsen than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Remsen. Remsen beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 37% of adults have high blood pressure in Remsen.
54%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Remsen | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better27 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Remsen | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.7% |
Floyd Valley Healthcare
9.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC−
0% of Remsen is conserved land
0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Remsen’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 944 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunrise Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Beck Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Remsen
19pages on Remsen
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Remsen
About 3 of every 100 Remsen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Famous people from Remsen
4 notable people were born in Remsen.
About Remsen
City in Iowa, USA
Remsen is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,678 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,329 ft
- ZIP code
- 51050
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Remsen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Remsen, IA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Remsen, IA known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Jared Homan and Joe Lotz.