34% of residents are under 18 in Underwood, above both Iowa’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Underwood. Underwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

955 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

McClelland · 3 mi Neola · 6 mi Crescent · 9 mi Minden · 9 mi Treynor · 11 mi Council Bluffs · 13 mi

Underwood, Iowa, 2017

Underwood’s story

144 years in pictures

The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.

1882Underwood is settled

Explore the history →

Nearby attractions

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and 25 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Underwood. Close and well known come first.

All 28 attractions →

17 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

33 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills

16 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum

18 mi LandmarkFort Atkinson

21 mi Ancient siteBertrand

11 mi MuseumPottawattamie County Jail

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Loess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain · Bertrand: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pottawattamie County Jail: Smallbones, CC0

Getting set up

Moving to Underwood: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Underwood, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site

SchoolsUnderwood Community School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections herePottawattamie County AuditorPottawattamie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code5157651576 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 Underwood.

Housing

Underwood’s typical home value is about $392K

The typical Underwood home is worth about $392,000, up 5.7% in a year, 66% above the Iowa typical home. 84% of households own their home in Underwood, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.

$392KZillow home value

	Underwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	84%	70%	73%
Median rent	$1,063 a month	$911 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Underwood$392K

Iowa$237K

+5.7%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in March

Full pageUnderwood’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 5.7% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.7 years of income Rents$1,063 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Schools

The schools Underwood’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Underwood Community School District. Its three schools are below.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Underwood Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	424	A⁻
Underwood High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	247	A⁺
Underwood Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	184	A

Full pageUnderwood’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsUnderwood Comm School District Every school3 schools · Underwood Elementary School Questions“Are Underwood’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Underwood’s workers commute out

Most working residents leave Underwood for work: only 6% work in town. 3.3% of Underwood residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Underwood has added 69 jobs, to 239 in 2023.

6%work in town

	Underwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	5.9%	31%	8%
Below the poverty line	3.3%	11%	9.6%
Median household income	$105,000	$69,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	26 minutes	19 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Underwood6%

Omaha30%

Council Bluffs23%

Lincoln2%

Shelby1%

21 mi

median commute distance

239

jobs based in Underwood

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageUnderwood’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here239 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work6% work in Underwood Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 21 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

More children than Iowa overall

Underwood’s median age is 33.5 years. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.

33.5median age · IA 38.6

	Underwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Median age	33.5 years	38.7 years	40.5 years
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	35%	25%	29%

UnderwoodIowaUnited States

IAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma6%

High school16%

Some college32%

Associate’s11%

Bachelor’s21%

Graduate15%

Women and men · all residents

55% women, 45% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Underwood
	Underwood	IA	U.S.
Under 10	18.6%	12.2%	11.6%
10 to 17	15.7%	10.7%	10.3%
18 to 24	6%	10%	9.1%
25 to 34	11.2%	12.5%	13.7%
35 to 44	14.1%	12.6%	13.2%
45 to 54	10.6%	11.3%	12.2%
55 to 64	12.8%	12.6%	12.7%
65 to 74	5.1%	10.6%	10.2%
75 and older	5.8%	7.6%	7%
No diploma	6%	6.7%	10.4%
High school	15.9%	30%	26%
Some college	32.3%	19.7%	19.1%
Associate’s	10.8%	12.1%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	20.5%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate	14.6%	10.5%	14.1%

Full pageUnderwood by the numbersOpen the page

Ages33.5 median age · 11% are 65 or older Schooling35% have a four-year degree Homes84% own their home · Homeowners Income$105K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points

Climate

In Underwood, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Underwood has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.

27″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–35°

Spring39–62°

Summer63–84°

Fall41–63°

Oct 21

typical first frost

Apr 18

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageUnderwood’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 85°, January lows 13°Rain & snow27″ of snow a winter · 34 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Underwood is

Underwood beats the Iowa average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 24% of adults binge drink in Underwood.

	Underwood	Iowa towns	U.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	24%	20%	16%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	8.3%	12%	12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	11%	13%	14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	29%	35%	35%