Tripoli IA, October 2013, 2013
Tripoli’s story
166 years in pictures
Census counts: 65 in 1880, 1,191 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1922 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
- 1860Tripoli is settled
TripoliIA
A town of 1,208, settled in 1860.
Photo: Orange Suede Sofa · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,208
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$171K
−1.6% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
47.9
years
Jobs based here
245
A commuter town
Is Tripoli a good place to live?
The best of Tripoli’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 3 have a higher average trip to work than Tripoli. On civic life, just 18 of Iowa’s 271 towns do better. Tripoli has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Tripoli stand out
Where Tripoli beats most towns.
Typical home value
Tripoli$171K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA
2.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 92% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Iowa
6 better24 too close to call2 worse
| Widest gap | Tripoli | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 12% |
HealthB+
Healthier than 75% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,208 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Tripoli grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Tripoli is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →HealthCommunity Memorial Hospital Medical Center 8 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$78K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landCOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life7.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Tripoli: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tripoli, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTripoli Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Tripoli’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 hereBremer County AuditorBremer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5067650676 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 Tripoli.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Tripoli’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Tripoli for work: only 7% work in town. 3.3% of Tripoli residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Tripoli fell to 245 in 2023, 25 fewer than in 2013.
7%work in town
| Tripoli | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Tripoli7%
Waverly17%
Waterloo17%
Cedar Falls8%
Denver4%
21 mi
median commute distance
245
jobs based in Tripoli
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Tripoli beat 51% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Tripoli Community School District. Its two schools are below.
51%of IA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tripoli Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 219 | C |
| Tripoli Middle/Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 170 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Tripoli ranks healthier than 74% of the country’s towns
Tripoli beats the Iowa average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 22% of Tripoli adults binge drink, above both Iowa’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (16%). 12% of adults report frequent physical distress in Tripoli.
75%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Tripoli | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
6 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Tripoli | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 12% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.8% | 6.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.3% | 11.6% |
Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center
8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A
Tripoli’s typical home value is about $171K
The typical Tripoli home is worth about $171,000, down 1.6% in a year, 28% below the Iowa typical home. 87% of Tripoli households own their home.
$171KZillow home value
| Tripoli | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $940 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Tripoli$171K
Iowa$237K
−1.6%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Tripoli has four seasons and pleasant summers
Tripoli has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Tripoli’s July high is 82°F.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall38–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than Iowa overall
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Tripoli is 47.9 years. Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Tripoli.
47.9median age · IA 38.6
| Tripoli | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.9 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
TripoliIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school34%
Some college21%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Tripoli | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.4% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Tripoli faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tripoli.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
4
paid flood claims since 2004
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
Tripoli has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Tripoli.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 3 of 888 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chapin Park | — | 2 |
| 2. North Park;Veterans' Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tripoli
18pages on Tripoli
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Tripoli
About 3 of every 100 Tripoli residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Tripoli for work
Where Tripoli’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
245jobs based in Tripoli
7%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Tripoli
City in the United States
Tripoli ( tri-POH-lə) is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,191 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Tripoli Post Office opened in 1860.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,030 ft
- ZIP code
- 50676
- Area code
- 319
Questions about Tripoli
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tripoli, IA expensive?
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.