Steamboat Rock Consolidated Schools Building · National Register of Historic Places
Steamboat Rock’s story
170 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1856Steamboat Rock is settled
Steamboat RockIA
A town of 260, settled in 1856.
Photo: Carl Wycoff · CC BY 2.0
Population
260
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$184K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
28
A commuter town
Is Steamboat Rock a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Steamboat Rock. Steamboat Rock Consolidated Schools Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Steamboat Rock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
260 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 Steamboat Rock: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Steamboat Rock, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSteamboat Rock Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Steamboat Rock’s 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 hereHardin County AuditorHardin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code5067250672 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 Steamboat Rock.
Work & commute
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Steamboat Rock work out of town
For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away. Steamboat Rock’s median household income stands at $47,000, below both the Iowa town median ($69,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). In addition, in Steamboat Rock, 6.1% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Ackley (13%), Iowa Falls (11%) and Grundy Center (6%).
1%work in town
| Steamboat Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Steamboat Rock1%
Ackley13%
Iowa Falls11%
Grundy Center6%
Eldora6%
24 mi
median commute distance
28
jobs based in Steamboat Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A typical Steamboat Rock home is worth about $184K
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 5.3% in value. In Steamboat Rock, the median rent is $771 a month. Steamboat Rock: nearly three quarters of households live in a home they own.
$184KZillow home value
| Steamboat Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $771 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Steamboat Rock$184K
Iowa$237K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Steamboat Rock
In Steamboat Rock, the midsummer high is 83°F.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring37–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Ages in Steamboat Rock track Iowa closely
Just over a fifth of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Steamboat Rock. No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Iowa average. The town’s midpoint age stands at 45.6 years, and on top of that in Steamboat Rock, 21% of residents are 65 or older, against 19% in Iowa’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns.
45.6median age · IA 38.6
| Steamboat Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.6 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
Steamboat RockIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school36%
Some college27%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Steamboat Rock | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.3% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.3% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Health
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Steamboat Rock’s adults have high blood pressure
The share of adults in Steamboat Rock who have obesity: 41%. For adults here, the share who smoke cigarettes is 19%.
| Steamboat Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Steamboat Rock | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.4% | 11.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 6.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.3% |
Hansen Family Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 7.5% of Steamboat Rock
The biggest park or preserve is Pine Ridge Area County Park, at 25 acres. Trails total 0.3 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Steamboat Rock’s density of trails comes in at 0.6 miles per square mile.
7.5%conserved
| Steamboat Rock | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
7.5%
conserved · 26 of 343 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pine Ridge Area County Park | — | 25 |
| 2. Steamboat Rock City Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Steamboat Rock River Access | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Steamboat Rock, mostly inland flooding
The FEMA hazard score for Steamboat Rock comes to 55 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 30% come from inland flooding and 25% from hail. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailDrought
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Steamboat Rock
18pages on Steamboat Rock
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Steamboat Rock
About 1 of every 100 Steamboat Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Steamboat Rock for work
Where Steamboat Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
28jobs based in Steamboat Rock
1%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Steamboat Rock
City in Iowa, US
Steamboat Rock is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 264 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,014 ft
- ZIP code
- 50672
Questions about Steamboat Rock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Steamboat Rock, IA a good place to live?
Steamboat Rock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Steamboat Rock, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including John Herbert Quick and Ray Taylor.