Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Spillville. Wenzil Taylor Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Spillville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Spillville beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 340 in 1880, 385 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Spillville, 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 Spillville.
In Spillville, 14% of residents live below the poverty line, above both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). For most workers, Spillville is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. The median household income for Spillville comes to $54,000. Since 2013, Spillville has lost 43 jobs, to 33 in 2023.
| Spillville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026. In Spillville, 65% of households are owner-occupiers, below both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Spillville has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 8° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA puts 55% of Spillville’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 17% to tornadoes. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out here.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Spillville: 30% of adults feel lonely. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Spillville.
| Spillville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Spillville | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is Riverside Park, at 24 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverside Park | — | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Spillville. Close and well known come first.
37 mi National MonumentEffigy Mounds National Monument57K visitors a year
in town MuseumBily Clock Museum
11 mi MuseumVesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
33 mi AttractionPreston Overlook
18 mi MuseumBurr Oak House/Masters HotelEffigy Mounds National Monument: National Park Service, Public domain · Bily Clock Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Preston Overlook: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Burr Oak House/Masters Hotel: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Spillville
About 3 of every 100 Spillville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Spillville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Spillville is a city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 385 at the time of the 2020 census. It is located in Calmar Township, approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) west of Calmar and about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Decorah, the county seat. Spillville is known for its Independence Day fireworks display, held the first Saturday in July.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Spillville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
