ThayerIowaAerialView, 2025
Thayer’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 394 in 1900, 51 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1869Thayer is settled
ThayerIA
A town of 49, settled in 1869.
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
49
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$261K
+10.3% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
29.5
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Thayer a good place to live?
Thayer’s average trip to work is 54 minutes, above both the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Thayer. Thayer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
49 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 Thayer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thayer, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Thayer’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 hereUnion County AuditorUnion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5025450254 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 Thayer.
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Thayer
Thayer has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–35°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall41–63°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Thayer is
Thayer beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of Thayer adults sleep under 7 hours, close to Iowa’s towns (32%) and below U.S. towns (36%). 19% of adults binge drink in Thayer.
| Thayer | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better29 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Thayer | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 11.6% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.4% | 84.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.7% |
Clarke County Hospital
14.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A larger share of households in Thayer own their home than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
100% of Thayer households own their home. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026.
$261KZillow home value
Typical home value
Thayer$261K
Iowa$237K
+10.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Thayer, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingDrought
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thayer
17pages on Thayer
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Thayer; the nearest are
Southwestern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Creston17.5 mi$8,064 in-state tuitionNorthwest Missouri State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Maryville, MO64 mi$10,611 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Thayer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Thayer
City in Iowa, USA
Thayer is a city in Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 51 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,106 ft
- ZIP code
- 50254
Questions about Thayer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thayer, IA a good place to live?
Thayer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.