Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,426, settled in 1882. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
The best of Woodward’s subject grades are an A for schools and health and an A− for walkability. On health, just 20 of Iowa’s 276 towns do better. Anthony M. McColl House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Woodward's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 82% of U.S. towns. Woodward has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Woodward beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Woodward-Granger Middle School | 6–8 | 248 |
| Woodward-Granger High School | 9–12 | 270 |
| Woodward Academy | 5–12 | 110 |
| Widest gap | Woodward | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.9% | 11.6% |
1,024 counted in 2010 and 1,346 in 2020; an estimated 1,426 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Woodward is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 328 in 1890, 1,346 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 2 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Woodward, 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 Woodward.
Its public schools are run by the Woodward-Granger Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodward-Granger Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 248 | A |
| Woodward-Granger High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 270 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
29% of Woodward adults feel lonely, below both Iowa’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (33%). 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Woodward. Only 7 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Woodward.
| Woodward | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Woodward | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.9% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Woodward’s property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, below both the Iowa town median (7.3) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Woodward reports less crime per resident than 75% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Woodward | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Woodward home is worth about $299,000, up 4.9% in a year, 26% above the Iowa typical home. 78% of Woodward households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Woodward has grown 5.8% since 2020, to 1,426 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Woodward | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
Somewhere between 33% and 60% women
The Census survey reached too few of Woodward’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.6 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Woodward | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.1% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.9% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Woodward has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Woodward for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Woodward has lost 687 jobs, to 1,005 in 2023. Woodward’s average trip to work is 19 minutes.
| Woodward | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Only 4 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Woodward.
| Woodward | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. High Trestle Trail | 0.1 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Woodward. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
24 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol26 mi Theme parkAdventureland
19 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
22 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
22 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumCasey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Woodward; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Woodward residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
City in Iowa, United States
Woodward is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,346 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Woodward is also home to the Woodward-Granger Community School District's middle school and high school, the elementary school being located in Granger.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Not for the area. That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($85,890 across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro 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+.
