Rhodes Iowa 20090215 Community Park Sign, 2009
Rhodes’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 434 in 1890, 271 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1975 on.
- 1856Rhodes is laid out
RhodesIA
A town of 265, laid out in 1856.
Photo: Ashton B Crew · CC BY 3.0
Population
265
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Typical home
$259K
+6.6% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
45.1
years
Jobs based here
5
A commuter town
Is Rhodes a good place to live?
Rhodes’ average trip to work is 34 minutes, above both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Rhodes. Rhodes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Rhodes stand out
Where Rhodes beats most towns.
Small town
265 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rhodes: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rhodes, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRhodes Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rhodes’ 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 hereMarshall County AuditorMarshall County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP code5023450234 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 Rhodes.
Work & commute
Rhodes has 0.0 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
7.5% of Rhodes residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Marshalltown (17%), Des Moines (7%) and Urbandale (5%). Half commute less than 29 miles.
0%work in town
| Rhodes | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rhodes0%
Marshalltown17%
Des Moines7%
Urbandale5%
Waterloo5%
29 mi
median commute distance
5
jobs based in Rhodes
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Rhodes, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Rhodes has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 11° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Rhodes faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Rhodes’ adults feel lonely
29% of Rhodes adults feel lonely. Rhodes beats the Iowa average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 15% of Rhodes adults report frequent mental distress.
| Rhodes | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
9 better23 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Rhodes | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 12% |
Story County Hospital
13.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The median rent in Rhodes is lower than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Rhodes’ median rent is $491 a month. Typical home values rose 6.6% in the year to September 2026. 82% of households own their home in Rhodes.
$259KZillow home value
| Rhodes | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $491 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Rhodes$259K
Iowa$237K
+6.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.6%conserved
| Rhodes | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
2.6%
conserved · 17 of 644 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail | 0.8 mi | 15 |
| 2. Rhodes Timber | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rhodes
17pages on Rhodes
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rhodes
About 7 of every 100 Rhodes residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Rhodes for work
Where Rhodes’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5jobs based in Rhodes
0%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Rhodes
City in Iowa, United States
Rhodes (formerly known as Edenville) is a city in Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 271 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1882
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,020 ft
- ZIP code
- 50234
Questions about Rhodes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rhodes, IA a good place to live?
Rhodes has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.