Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Shenandoah gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $134K, 2.3 years of the county’s $58K median household income. It grades C overall, 102nd of 140 graded towns in Iowa. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $60K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 85% of the country. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Shenandoah has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Wabash Combination Depot-Shenandoah and Women's Christian Temperance Union Public Fountain. Only 4 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher midsummer high than Shenandoah. The biggest park or preserve is Sportsmans Park, at 28 acres.
Where Shenandoah beats most towns.
Women's Christian Temperance Union Public FountainEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Shenandoah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,387 in 1880, a peak of 6,938 in 1950, 4,925 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1903 and 3 maps from 1978 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shenandoah, 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 Shenandoah.
Shenandoah has homes that are cheap against local pay and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Iowa; it also has poverty well above the Iowa rate.
Among 140 Iowa towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Shenandoah. 44% of adults have obesity locally. Shenandoah: 15% of adults have diabetes, above both Iowa’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (12%). CDC measures, 32 in all: Shenandoah beats Iowa on 1 and trails on 16.
| Shenandoah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Shenandoah | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Shenandoah Community School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Shenandoah High School, with 300 students. Below: Two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 349 | B− |
| Shenandoah High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 300 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
At 2.3 years of the county’s $58K median household income, the typical home (about $134K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of Iowa towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
For Shenandoah, the going rate for rent is $774 a month. Shenandoah: nearly three in five households live in a home they own, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%. The typical Shenandoah home is worth about $134,000, up 0.8% in a year, 43% below the Iowa typical home.
| Shenandoah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $774 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 14.5°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 94% of Iowa places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.2°.
About 26 inches of snow falls in a winter. Only 7 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a higher January low than Shenandoah.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Clarinda (6%), Council Bluffs (5%) and Omaha (4%). For Shenandoah, the average trip to work is 15 minutes. In Shenandoah, 38% of working residents work locally.
| Shenandoah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 38% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Households in Shenandoah have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2019. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Shenandoah break down as 25% from inland flooding and 24% from tornadoes. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 2015: one.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 51 to 20 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Shenandoah’s rate of reported violence stands at 0.8 per 1,000 residents. In Shenandoah, the level of property crime is 3.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Shenandoah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Shenandoah’s density of trails comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile. 0.3 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves.
| Shenandoah | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sportsmans Park | 0.1 mi | 28 |
| 2. Waubonsie Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. McComb Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Shenandoah; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Shenandoah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
2 places in Shenandoah on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Shenandoah.
City in Iowa, United States
Shenandoah is a city in Page and Fremont counties in Iowa, United States. The population was 4,925 at the time of the 2020 U.S. census. Once referred to as the "seed and nursery center of the world," Shenandoah is the home to Earl May Seed Company and the radio station KMA, founded by Earl E. May. The early live radio stations gave many performers their start, including The Everly Brothers and Charlie Haden.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Shenandoah grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #102 of 140 in Iowa. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
8 notable people were born here, including Charlie Haden and Bernie Masterson.
