Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 98, settled in 1872.
Only one of the 141 Iowa towns we compare has a higher midpoint age than St. Olaf. St. Olaf Auditorium is on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Olaf has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 50 in 1880, a peak of 191 in 1940, 106 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in St. Olaf, 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 St. Olaf.
St. Olaf: 77% of households own their home, above both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Home values are up 16% over the year to September 2026. The going rate for rent for St. Olaf comes to $775 a month.
| St. Olaf | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $775 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Half of commuters travel less than 15 miles. In St. Olaf, the mean commuting time is 19 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Postville (11%), Monona (7%) and Prairie du Chien (7%).
| St. Olaf | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with 69% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in St. Olaf is lower. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008. FEMA puts 48% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to tornadoes. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1991: 3.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 9° on a January night to 82° on a July afternoon, with about 36 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in St. Olaf who have obesity: 42%. For adults here, the share who binge drink is 22%.
| St. Olaf | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | St. Olaf | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of St. Olaf; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 St. Olaf residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where St. Olaf’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
St. Olaf is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 106 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 136 in 2000.
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Short answers, built from the data on this page.
St. Olaf has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.