WashburnIA
A town of 714, settled in 1880.
Is Washburn a good place to live?
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Washburn. Washburn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
714 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Washburn: who provides what
Washburn is unincorporated, so Black Hawk County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Washburn.
A smaller share of residents in Washburn live below the poverty line than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
2.7% of Washburn residents live below the poverty line, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Washburn’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Since 2013, Washburn has lost 22 jobs, to 23 in 2023.
| Washburn | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Washburn has four seasons and pleasant summers
Washburn has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Washburn
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
More children than Iowa overall
Children under 18 are 29% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (37% statewide). Washburn’s median age is 31.8 years, below both the Iowa town median (38.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Washburn | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.8 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 25% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.2 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Washburn | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 3.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.6% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 28% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
How healthy Washburn is
Washburn beats the Iowa average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 21% of adults binge drink in Washburn. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Washburn.
| Washburn | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Washburn | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.4% |
| More adults with high cholesterol | 40% | 35.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in Washburn sells for about $223K at the median
85% of Washburn households own their home.
| Washburn | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $985 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lost Island Theme Park and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washburn. Close and well known come first.
25 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park
3 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
13 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice HousePhoto credits
Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens: Cedarvalleyarboretum, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Falls Ice House: RifeIdeas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Washburn
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Washburn
About 5 of every 100 Washburn residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
99% of working residents leave Washburn for work
Where Washburn’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Washburn
Census-designated place in Iowa, United States
Washburn is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. Washburn lies south of Waterloo on U.S. Route 218. Other towns near Washburn are Gilbertville and La Porte City. The community is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Washburn had a population of 870.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
Questions about Washburn
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Washburn, IA a good place to live?
Washburn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.