Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Villisca’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 30% of residents are 65 or older in Villisca, against 19% in Iowa’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 12 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. On civic life, just 3 of Iowa’s 271 towns do better. Villisca has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them McCoy Polygonal Barn and Josiah B. and Sara Moore House. Only 22 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on the outdoors. Villisca has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Villisca beats most towns.
Josiah B. and Sara Moore HouseIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Villisca is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Villisca, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Villisca.
The typical Villisca home is worth about $76,000, down 16.8% in a year, 68% below the Iowa typical home. Villisca’s median rent is $714 a month, below both Iowa’s towns ($911 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Villisca | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $714 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Villisca Community School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Valley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 131 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests
Most working residents leave Villisca for work: only 7% work in town. Villisca’s average trip to work is 26 minutes. The top destinations are Red Oak (17%), Stanton (10%) and Clarinda (6%).
| Villisca | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Villisca has cold winters and warm summers. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher July high than Villisca.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Villisca beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of adults feel lonely in Villisca.
| Villisca | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Villisca | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 70.7% | 66.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Villisca; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Villisca residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Villisca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Villisca on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Villisca.
City in Iowa, United States
Villisca is a city in East Township, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,132 at the time of the 2020 census. It is most notable for the unsolved axe murders that took place in the town on June 9, 1912.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
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+.
4 notable people were born here, including Judd Holdren and Randy Weaver.
