Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
West Union’s best subject grades are an A− for history and civic life; its weakest is a C for health. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 3 have a lower July high than West Union. West Union is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns. Only 5 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher share of residents 65 or older than West Union. Its National Register listings include Grimes Octagon Barn and Vine Street Bridge. West Union has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where West Union beats most towns.
Fayette County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far West Union is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,489 in 1870, 2,490 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1901 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Union, 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 West Union.
The typical West Union home is worth about $148,000, up 5.9% in a year, 38% below the Iowa typical home. 62% of West Union households own their home, below both Iowa’s towns (70%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| West Union | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $967 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the North Fayette Valley Community School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is North Fayette Valley High School, with 323 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Union Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 228 | C+ |
| North Fayette Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 323 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
West Union beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 31% of West Union adults get no exercise outside work, where Iowa’s towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 25%. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in West Union.
| West Union | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | West Union | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.5% | 11.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
West Union has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in West Union is 8°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (37% statewide). 26% of West Union residents are under 18. West Union has lost 2.4% of its people since 2020, down to 2,424 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| West Union | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 41.7 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 25% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| West Union | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 17% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.4% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,400, single groups can be off by several points
About one in 3 of West Union’s working residents works in town. West Union’s median household income is $54,000. The top destinations are Decorah (5%), Fayette (4%) and Postville (3%).
| West Union | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 32% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.5 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of conserved land than West Union. The biggest place to walk is West Union Recreation Center, 36 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| West Union | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Union Recreation Center | 1.1 mi | 36 |
| 2. Rotary Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Courthouse Square | 0.2 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of West Union
About 3 of every 100 West Union residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
6 places in West Union on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in West Union.
City in Iowa, United States
West Union is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,490 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Fayette County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.5 years of the area's median household income ($60,165 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
5 notable people were born here, including A. G. Daniells and Andrew Wenthe.
