Gehlen House and Barn · National Register of Historic Places
St. Donatus’s story
171 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1855St. Donatus is settled
St. DonatusIA
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sioux City Linseed Oil Works · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Population
121
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$203K
Census ACS
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
60.0
years
Jobs based here
38
A commuter town
Is St. Donatus a good place to live?
Its National Register listings include Gehlen House and Barn and Martin Hotel. St. Donatus has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes St. Donatus stand out
Where St. Donatus beats most towns.
Small town
121 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to St. Donatus: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in St. Donatus, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have St. Donatus’ trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJackson County AuditorJackson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code5207152071 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in St. Donatus.
Work & commute
In St. Donatus, the median household income runs lower than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
St. Donatus’ average commute is 19 minutes. The share of residents in St. Donatus who live below the poverty line is 16%, above both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in St. Donatus dropped by 25, to 38. The top destinations are Dubuque (28%), Maquoketa (23%) and Bellevue (9%).
0%work in town
| St. Donatus | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In St. Donatus0%
Dubuque28%
Maquoketa23%
Bellevue9%
Davenport5%
21 mi
median commute distance
38
jobs based in St. Donatus
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in St. Donatus: inland flooding
On expected storm and flood damage, St. Donatus sits above nearly three quarters of U.S. communities. Expected losses in St. Donatus break down as 48% from inland flooding and 12% from tornadoes. Federal aid has come to St. Donatus households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in St. Donatus brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
St. Donatus’ July high stands at 83°F, near the Iowa town median (84°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring38–58°
Summer61–81°
Fall41–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
St. Donatus stands out in Iowa and nationally, with more of its adults who sleep under 7 hours
The share of adults in St. Donatus who feel lonely: 30%. The town does better than the Iowa average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 7. Also worth knowing: only one of the 141 Iowa towns we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than St. Donatus.
| St. Donatus | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
6 better19 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | St. Donatus | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.7% |
Midwest Medical Center
9.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 240 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saint Donatus Community Club | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Charles Mound and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around St. Donatus. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MountainCharles Mound7 mi MuseumChicago Athenaeum
11 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
11 mi TheatreFive Flags Center
17 mi MuseumApple River Fort
30 mi MuseumNational Farm Toy MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Charles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Five Flags Center: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Apple River Fort: IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Farm Toy Museum: Madmaxmarchhare of English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
Keep exploring
Everything we know about St. Donatus
17pages on St. Donatus
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of St. Donatus
Wartburg Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Dubuque11.4 miLoras CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Dubuque12 mi$39,824 tuitionUniversity of DubuqueUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Dubuque12.1 mi$42,095 tuition
About 4 of every 100 St. Donatus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave St. Donatus for work
Where St. Donatus’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
38jobs based in St. Donatus
0%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in St. Donatus on the National Register of Historic Places.
About St. Donatus
City in Iowa, United States
St. Donatus or Saint Donatus is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 120 at the time of the 2020 census. St. Donatus is known for its status as a Luxembourgish village, with historic architecture and views along U.S. Route 52. It is the home of a historic Catholic church, which is dedicated to Saint Donatus of Muenstereifel, the town's namesake. It was formerly named Tete Des Morts, which is the name of a creek that flows through the village.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 669 ft
- ZIP code
- 52071
Questions about St. Donatus
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is St. Donatus, IA a good place to live?
St. Donatus has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.