Youngville Cafe, 2016
Watkins’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 3 maps from 1888 on.
- 1873Watkins is settled
WatkinsIA
A town settled in 1873, now home to 201 people.
Population
201
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$413K
+17.2% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
18.8
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town
Is Watkins a good place to live?
Watkins’ age of the median resident is 18.8 years, against 38.7 years in Iowa’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Watkins. Watkins has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
201 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Watkins: who provides what
Watkins is unincorporated, so Benton County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPoweshiek Water Association (Cr)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBenton CountyBenton County provides services here
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 code5235452354 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 Watkins.
Housing
The typical home in Watkins is valued at about $413K
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 17% in value.
$413KZillow home value
Typical home value
Watkins$413K
Iowa$237K
+17.2%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Watkins has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The median household income for Watkins comes to $96,000. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles. The top destinations are Cedar Rapids (30%), Iowa City (7%) and Blairstown (4%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Watkins0%
Cedar Rapids30%
Iowa City7%
Blairstown4%
Marengo4%
19 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Watkins
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
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
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: low risk in Watkins, mostly inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Watkins households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020. Compared with 66% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. FEMA puts 38% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to drought.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Watkins is
A fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Watkins. This Iowa town beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. In Watkins, 30% of adults feel lonely, and 39% have high blood pressure.
| Watkins | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Watkins | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 78.2% | 66.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.6% |
Compass Memorial Healthcare
7.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 263 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gabe Kuester Memorial Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Kinnick Stadium and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Watkins. Close and well known come first.
28 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
36 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
27 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
17 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
36 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
37 mi MuseumCedar Rock State ParkSources: 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 · Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Watkins
16pages on Watkins
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Watkins; the nearest are
Kirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cedar Rapids17.2 mi$6,176 in-state tuitionUniversity of IowaUniversity or college · Public · Iowa City28.1 mi$11,283 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Watkins residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Watkins for work
Where Watkins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15jobs based in Watkins
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Watkins
Census-designated place in Iowa, United States
Watkins is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southeastern Benton County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 116. Watkins lies along local roads south of the city of Vinton, the county seat of Benton County. Its elevation is 830 feet (250 m) above sea level. Although Watkins is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 52354, which opened on 15 December 1873. Watkins was platted in 1874. Watkins is within the Benton Community School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 830 ft
- ZIP code
- 52354
Questions about Watkins
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Watkins, IA a good place to live?
Watkins has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.