ThompsonIA
A town of 471, settled in 1890.
Is Thompson a good place to live?
Thompson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
471 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Thompson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thompson, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Thompson.
A home in Thompson is worth about $94K, on Zillow’s estimate
Thompson: just over four in five households are owner-occupiers, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%. The rent at the middle of the market here is $733 a month. Values rose 5.3% in the 12 months to September 2026.
| Thompson | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $733 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
A smaller share of residents are under 18 in Thompson than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
In Thompson, the age of the median resident is 58.6 years, above both Iowa’s towns (38.7 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). This Iowa town has lost 4.8% of its people since 2020, down to 471 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 37% of Thompson adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Thompson | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.6 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 12% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 25% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
40% women, 60% men
About 151 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Thompson | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.6% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.9% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.6% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.2% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.6% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.7% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.3% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Fewer of Thompson’s working residents work locally than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
For Thompson, the average trip to work is 22 minutes. Employers in Thompson shed 41 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 55. The top destinations are Buffalo Center (14%), Forest City (13%) and Garner (4%). In Thompson, 7.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Thompson | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Thompson
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 4 have a lower peak summer temperature than Thompson. July afternoons reach 82° and January nights drop to 7°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Thompson has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from drought
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Thompson after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2018. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Thompson break down as 48% from drought and 19% from inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Thompson is
16% of adults smoke cigarettes in Thompson. Of 32 CDC measures, Thompson beats the Iowa average on 1 and trails it on 5. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Thompson.
| Thompson | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Thompson | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Thompson
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Thompson
About 0 of every 100 Thompson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
99% of working residents leave Thompson for work
Where Thompson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Thompson
City in Iowa, United States
Thompson is a city in Winnebago County, Iowa, United States. The population was 495 at the time of the 2020 census. Thompson is home to the Winnebago County Fair, held annually, various agricultural businesses, a public outdoor swimming pool, the Thompson Museum, and Bethany Lutheran Church, built in 1902.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,270 ft
- ZIP code
- 50478
Questions about Thompson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thompson, IA a good place to live?
Thompson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Thompson, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Judy Lee Klemesrud and Clifford Branstad.