Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Sidney’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a C for incomes. On cost of living, just 13 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Fremont County Courthouse and Jason and Elizabeth Baylor Rector House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sidney has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sidney beats most towns.
Fremont County CourthouseIn 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 Sidney is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 423 in 1860, 1,070 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1985 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sidney, 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 Sidney.
Most working residents leave Sidney for work: only 11% work in town. At 20 minutes, Sidney’s average trip to work is against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Omaha (12%), Council Bluffs (8%) and Tabor (6%).
| Sidney | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Sidney Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 241 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Sidney has chilly winters and warm summers. Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher July high than Sidney.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Sidney home is worth about $194,000, up 9% in a year, 18% below the Iowa typical home. At $750 a month, Sidney’s median rent is below both the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 78% of households own their home in Sidney.
| Sidney | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $750 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sidney beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 19% of Sidney adults binge drink.
| Sidney | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sidney | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.6% | 84.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sidney City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sidney; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Sidney residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Sidney’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, USA
Sidney is a city in Fremont County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,070 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Fremont County and is one of the smallest county seats in the state.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
2 notable people were born here, including John Scott Redd and Robert Moyers.