Walford iowa, 2009
Walford’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1889Walford is settled
Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,359
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$332K
+10% in a year
Household income
$129K
median
Median age
37.0
years
Jobs based here
327
A commuter town
Is Walford a good place to live?
The best of Walford’s subject grades are an A+ for incomes and an A− for health; the weakest is a D for walkability. 0.1% of working residents work locally in Walford, where Iowa’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 8%. No town in Iowa scores lower than Walford on walkability. On civic life, just 22 of Iowa’s 271 towns do worse. Walford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,359 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Walford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Walford is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →HealthMercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids 11.3 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsBehind 66% of Iowa districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $332K, 4.3 years of the Cedar Rapids metro’s $78K median household incomeB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 36% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 Walford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walford, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClover Ridge Subdivision water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery weekCurbside recyclingTown site
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 code5235152351 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 Walford.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Walford stands out in Iowa and nationally: a larger share of its households own their home
92% of Walford households own their home, against 70% in Iowa’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026.
$332KZillow home value
Typical home value
Walford$332K
Iowa$237K
+10%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Walford is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Walford beats the Iowa average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of Walford adults binge drink. Only 6 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Walford.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Walford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
14 better18 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Walford | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 11.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.8% | 7.3% |
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids
11.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the median household income in Walford is higher
The median household income in Walford is $129,000. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Walford. Jobs based in Walford grew to 327 in 2023, 237 more than in 2013.
0%work in town
| Walford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 8.5% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Walford0%
Cedar Rapids47%
Iowa City4%
Des Moines2%
Hiawatha2%
12 mi
median commute distance
327
jobs based in Walford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 5% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Younger than Iowa overall
People 65 and older are 10% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (37% statewide). 28% of residents are under 18 in Walford. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
37median age · IA 38.6
| Walford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 9.6% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 28% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 25% | 29% |
| Median age | 37 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
WalfordIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school23%
Some college19%
Associate’s21%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Walford | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.9% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.1% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.7% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Walford
Walford has cold winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 11° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–31°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Low risk in Walford, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 664 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walford City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Kinnick Stadium and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Walford. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
29 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
21 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
11 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
28 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
11 mi MuseumMuseum of Art Cedar RapidsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Kinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Art Cedar Rapids: ericjames, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Walford
18pages on Walford
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Walford
Kirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids9.5 mi$6,176 in-state tuitionCoe CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cedar Rapids11.6 mi$54,666 tuitionMount Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cedar Rapids12.5 mi$40,878 tuition
About 5 of every 100 Walford residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Walford for work
Where Walford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
327jobs based in Walford
0%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Walford
City in Iowa, United States
Walford is a city in Benton and Linn counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,366 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
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 804 ft
- ZIP code
- 52351
Questions about Walford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Walford, IA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.