Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
23% of residents live below the poverty line in Scranton, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Scranton. Scranton 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: 715 in 1890, a peak of 1,058 in 1930, 511 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1921 and 2 maps from 1980 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Scranton, 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 Scranton.
Most working residents leave Scranton for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Scranton fell to 319 in 2023, 70 fewer than in 2013. At $54,000, Scranton’s median household income is where Iowa’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Scranton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 8.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Scranton home is worth about $185,000, up 3.4% in a year, 22% below the Iowa typical home. Scranton’s median rent is $825 a month.
| Scranton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $825 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Scranton has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 11° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Scranton beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 19% of adults binge drink in Scranton.
| Scranton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Scranton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.5% | 11.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.9% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scranton Memorial School Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Scranton; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Scranton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Scranton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Scranton is a city in Greene County, Iowa, United States. The population was 511 at the time of the 2020 census. It was named after Scranton, Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Scranton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.