WadenaIA
A town of 204, settled in 1878.
Is Wadena a good place to live?
Hardware Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wadena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
204 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Wadena: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wadena, 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 Wadena.
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Wadena’s residents live below the poverty line
In Wadena, the typical household income is $39,000. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Wadena. For half of commuters, work is under 23 miles away. The top destinations are Fayette (12%), West Union (9%) and Oelwein (7%).
| Wadena | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 28% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Wadena
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 5 have a lower typical July afternoon high than Wadena. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 9° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards: high risk in Wadena, mostly inland flooding
The risk rating from FEMA for Wadena comes to 61 of 100. FEMA puts 53% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 14% to tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Wadena after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2008.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
More of Wadena’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
19% of Wadena adults binge drink, close to Iowa’s towns (20%) and above U.S. towns (16%). Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Wadena. Add to that, for adults here, the share who have obesity is 41%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Wadena beats Iowa on 1 and trails on 11.
| Wadena | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Wadena | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical home in Wadena is valued at about $207K
Home values are up 12% over the year to September 2026. No town among the 138 in Iowa we compare has a lower midpoint rent than Wadena. Still, in Wadena, 77% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Wadena | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 77% | 42% | 48% |
| Median rent | $532 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Wadena keeps 0.6% of its land conserved
One park or preserve covers 2 acres in Wadena. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 5 have a lower share of conserved land than Wadena.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wadena City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Wadena
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wadena
About 4 of every 100 Wadena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
100% of working residents leave Wadena for work
Where Wadena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Wadena
City in Iowa, United States
Wadena is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 209 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 883 ft
- ZIP code
- 52169
Questions about Wadena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wadena, IA a good place to live?
Wadena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.