Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
The best of Shell Rock’s subject grades are an A− for schools and cost of living; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. On hazard risk, just 3 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. 18% of the land in Shell Rock is conserved, against 3.1% in Iowa’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Shell Rock has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Cherry Street Bridge and Shell Rock Bridge. Shell Rock has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Shell Rock beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Rock Elementary School | PK–4 | 116 |
Cherry Street BridgeIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Shell Rock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shell Rock, 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 Shell Rock.
Its public schools are run by the Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Rock Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 116 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Shell Rock’s FEMA risk score is 83 of 100, where Iowa’s towns sit at 40 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Since 1993, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shell Rock.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Shell Rock for work: only 4% work in town. 5% of Shell Rock residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Shell Rock grew to 310 in 2023, 42 more than in 2013.
| Shell Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Shell Rock County Park, at 55 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shell Rock County Park | — | 55 |
| 2. Shell Rock Wildlife Management Area | — | 51 |
| 3. McCauge Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Shell Rock has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Shell Rock’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Shell Rock beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Shell Rock. Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Shell Rock.
| Shell Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Shell Rock | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Shell Rock home is worth about $227,000, up 2.8% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher share of households owning their home than Shell Rock.
| Shell Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $931 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Shell Rock
About 3 of every 100 Shell Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Shell Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Shell Rock on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Iowa, US
Shell Rock is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States, along the Shell Rock River. The population was 1,268 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located along the county's eastern border, between Butler and Bremer counties. A post office opened in Shell Rock in 1855.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
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−.
