Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
95% more library visits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Wilton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $231K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Muscatine area’s $69K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 63rd of 140 graded towns in Iowa. Wilton has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Wilton Candy Kitchen and Wilton Commercial Historic District. Wilton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 4 have a lower share of children under 18 than Wilton.
Where Wilton beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Wilton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,317 in 1870, 2,924 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1896 and 4 maps from 1891 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wilton, 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 Wilton.
Wilton has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 13° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Its public schools are run by the Wilton Community School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Wilton Jr-Sr High School, with 447 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 509 | B |
| Wilton Jr-Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 447 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Wilton has about as many jobs (1,138) as working residents, but only 119 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Wilton for work: only 10% work in town. At 23 minutes, Wilton’s average trip to work is above Iowa’s towns (19 minutes) but below U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Muscatine (27%), Iowa City (9%) and Davenport (8%).
| Wilton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 9.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 16% of residents (23% statewide). At 45.2 years, Wilton’s median age is where Iowa’s towns sit at 38.7 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 36% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Wilton.
| Wilton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.2 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 25% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Wilton | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.3% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.6% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.5% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Wilton's reported crime rate is well below Iowa's. Wilton’s property crime rate is 1.7 per 1,000 residents. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Wilton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 9 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West View Park | — | 15 |
| 2. Cherrydale Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Wilton is $805 a month.
| Wilton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $805 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Wilton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Wilton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wilton since 1992.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wilton. Close and well known come first.
26 mi Ancient siteRock Island Arsenal
28 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
18 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
17 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
25 mi MuseumBlack Hawk State Historic Site
28 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye ArenaRock Island Arsenal: Robert A, Ryan, J. Ceronia, and Bruce A. Harms, Photographers, Public domain · Kinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Hawk State Historic Site: Bill Whittaker (talk). Original uploader was Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0
None within 15 miles of Wilton; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Wilton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
5 places in Wilton on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Wilton.
City in Iowa, United States
Wilton (formerly Wilton Junction) is a city in Cedar and Muscatine counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,924 at the time of the 2020 census. The Muscatine County portion of Wilton is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Wilton grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #63 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B− for health and B for schools.
Not for the area. 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 Eddy Chandler and Charles H. Gabriel.
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