International Wal-Mart Truck, 2007
Urbana’s story
169 years in pictures
Census counts: 323 in 1900, 1,554 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1888 on.
- 1857Urbana is settled
UrbanaIA
A town of 1,671, settled in 1857. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,671
2025 Census estimate · +6.9% since 2020
Typical home
$264K
+8.6% in a year
Household income
$116K
median
Median age
32.8
years
Jobs based here
466
A commuter town
Is Urbana a good place to live?
The best of Urbana’s subject grades are an A− for incomes, schools, and cost of living; the weakest is a C− for walkability. On walkability, just 4 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. On the outdoors, just 16 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. Urbana has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Urbana stand out
Where Urbana beats most towns.
Center Point-Urbana Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Center Point-Urbana Intermediate School | 3–5 | 275 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Typical home value
Urbana$264K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA−
3.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 78% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Urbana for work
Where Urbana’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
466jobs based in Urbana
6%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Urbana grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Urbana is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income466 jobs based hereA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthVirginia Gay Hospital 7.6 miles awayB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 42% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0.2 library visits per resident; 4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.8; 29% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Urbana: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Urbana, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterUrbana Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Urbana’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 hereBenton County AuditorBenton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code5234552345 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 Urbana.
SchoolsA−
Urbana’s public schools outperform 81% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Center Point-Urbana Community School District. Its one school is below.
81%of IA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Point-Urbana Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 275 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Urbana’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Urbana for work: only 6% work in town. At $116,000, Urbana’s median household income is where Iowa’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. The average trip to work in Urbana is 27 minutes.
6%work in town
| Urbana | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.5% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Urbana6%
Cedar Rapids32%
Vinton7%
Waterloo4%
Center Point4%
21 mi
median commute distance
466
jobs based in Urbana
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Urbana are healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Urbana beats the Iowa average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of adults binge drink in Urbana, above both the Iowa town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 8.2% of Urbana adults have diabetes.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Urbana | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Urbana | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.4% | 77.8% |
Virginia Gay Hospital
7.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Urbana, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Urbana has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–61°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
A larger share of residents in Urbana are under 18 than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
31% of residents are under 18 in Urbana. Urbana has grown 6.9% since 2020, to 1,671 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 10% of residents are 65 or older in Urbana.
32.8median age · IA 38.6
| Urbana | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 31% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 10% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 32.8 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
UrbanaIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school32%
Some college20%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Urbana | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.9% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.9% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.3% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.4% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Safety
Urbana stands out in Iowa and nationally, with property crime lower than most
Urbana’s property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Among 112 Iowa towns, just 5 have a lower violent crime rate than Urbana. Urbana's reported crime rate is well below Iowa's.
| Urbana | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 9 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Urbana0
Iowa2.5
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Urbana0
Iowa13.3
U.S.17.7
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
0
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A−
Homes in Urbana are worth about $264K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Urbana home is worth about $264,000, up 8.6% in a year, 12% above the Iowa typical home. Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Urbana.
$264KZillow home value
| Urbana | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $860 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Urbana$264K
Iowa$237K
+8.6%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Urbana
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Urbana since 2014.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2014
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,155 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Central Crossing Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Urbana
19pages on Urbana
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 81% of IA districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthB+Better than IA on 13 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$264K typical home · up 8.6% in a yearWork & commuteA−$116K median household income · 466 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 42% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Urbana; the nearest are
Mount Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cedar Rapids19.8 mi$40,878 tuitionKirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids25.1 mi$6,176 in-state tuitionUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · Cedar Falls35.3 mi$9,936 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Urbana residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
About Urbana
City in Iowa, United States
Urbana is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,554 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 938 ft
- ZIP code
- 52345
Questions about Urbana
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Urbana, IA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Is Urbana, 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−.