Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Sumner’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a C− for incomes. No town among the 116 in Iowa we compare has a lower property crime rate than Sumner. Only 16 of Iowa’s 271 towns score higher on civic life. Sumner has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Sumner High School and Bank of Sumner. Sumner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sumner beats most towns.
Sumner High SchoolEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Sumner is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 285 in 1880, 2,030 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1897 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sumner, 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 Sumner.
The typical Sumner home is worth about $148,000, up 2.3% in a year, 37% below the Iowa typical home. 78% of Sumner households own their home, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.
| Sumner | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $902 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Sumner-Fredericksburg Community School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durant Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 209 | C+ |
| Sumner-Fredericksburg High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 243 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Sumner has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 82°F, Sumner’s July high is against 84°F in Iowa’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Sumner’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Sumner has added 254 jobs, to 839 in 2023. 14% of Sumner residents live below the poverty line.
| Sumner | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). Sumner’s median age is 47.5 years. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Sumner | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
58% women, 42% men
About 73 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Sumner | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 15% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.1% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Sumner's reported crime rate is well below Iowa's. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Sumner beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 29% of adults feel lonely in Sumner. Only 10 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Sumner.
| Sumner | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| What stands out | Sumner | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 77.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.5% | 84.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.0 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sumner City Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Cub Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Sumner Family Aquatic Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sumner.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Sumner; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Sumner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
2 places in Sumner on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Sumner.
City in Iowa, United States
Sumner is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The city is located along the county's eastern border, between Bremer and Fayette counties. The population was 2,030 at the time of the 2020 census. The Bremer County portion of Sumner is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was established in 1870, and incorporated in 1894. The community is named after American political leader Charles Sumner. Sumner is home to Life Line Emergency Vehicles, a major manufacturer of ambulances.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2 times the library visits per person than the typical Iowa town.
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.
5 notable people were born here, including Mary Louise Boehm and Randi Oakes.
