SanduskyIowaMethodistChurch, 2024
Sandusky’s story
165 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2024.
- 1861Sandusky is settled
SanduskyIA
With 354 residents, this town was settled in 1861.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
354
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$331K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
12
A commuter town
Is Sandusky a good place to live?
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Sandusky. Sandusky has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
354 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Montebello TownshipKeokukSonora TownshipSandusky
Getting set up
Moving to Sandusky: who provides what
Sandusky is unincorporated, so Lee County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKeokuk Municipal Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesLee CountyLee County provides services here
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 hereLee County AuditorLee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5263252632 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 Sandusky.
Work & commute
With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in Sandusky work out of town
Sandusky’s typical household income stands at $109,000, against $69,000 in Iowa’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Its mean commuting time is 24 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 11 miles. The top destinations are Keokuk (42%), Fort Madison (15%) and West Burlington (3%).
0%work in town
| Sandusky | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sandusky0%
Keokuk42%
Fort Madison15%
West Burlington3%
Davenport3%
11 mi
median commute distance
12
jobs based in Sandusky
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Sandusky
Expect July afternoons of 86° and January nights of 17°, with about 18 inches of snow a winter.
18″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–37°
Spring42–63°
Summer65–84°
Fall45–65°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Sandusky skews older than Iowa
People 65 and older are just over a quarter of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide). Among adults 25 and older in Sandusky, 33% hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
40.7median age · IA 38.6
SanduskyIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school11%
Some college34%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 134 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.1 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Sandusky | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 10.6% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 34.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.7% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Health
A smaller share of adults in Sandusky feel lonely than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Sandusky: 18% of adults binge drink. In Sandusky, 15% of adults report frequent physical distress, where Iowa’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 14%. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Sandusky.
| Sandusky | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Sandusky | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 6.6% |
| More smokers | 19.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.3% |
Memorial Hospital
14.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$215Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Sandusky, mostly inland flooding
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Sandusky than in 50% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 54% come from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sandusky
15pages on Sandusky
The big questions
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sandusky; the nearest are
Culver-Stockton CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Canton, MO23.6 mi$30,875 tuitionSoutheastern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · West Burlington27.4 mi$6,420 in-state tuitionWestern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Macomb, IL36.9 mi$15,264 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Sandusky residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Sandusky for work
Where Sandusky’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
12jobs based in Sandusky
0%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sandusky
Census-designated place in Iowa, USA
Sandusky is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Iowa, United States. It is in the southeast part of the county, on the west bank of the Mississippi River 4 miles (6 km) north of Keokuk, the county seat, and 6 miles (10 km) south of Montrose. Sandusky was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. As of the 2020 census, its population was 297.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 541 ft
Questions about Sandusky
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sandusky, IA a good place to live?
Sandusky has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.