Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 504, settled in 1881.
Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Zearing. Lincoln Township Mausoleum is on the National Register of Historic Places. Zearing has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Zearing, 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 Zearing.
Most working residents leave Zearing for work: only 5% work in town. 15% of Zearing residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Zearing fell to 105 in 2023, 47 fewer than in 2013.
| Zearing | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Colo-NESCO Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colo-Nesco Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 169 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Zearing has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Zearing beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 21% of Zearing adults binge drink, against 20% in Iowa’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Zearing.
| Zearing | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Zearing | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Children under 18 are 27% of residents (23% statewide). Zearing’s median age is 34.7 years. Zearing has lost 6.1% of its people since 2020, down to 504 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Zearing | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.7 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
Somewhere between 31% and 64% women
The Census survey reached too few of Zearing’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±16.3 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Zearing | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.7% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.8% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 27% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.9% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.9% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Zearing home is worth about $254,000, up 4.7% in a year, 7% above the Iowa typical home. 83% of Zearing households own their home.
| Zearing | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $883 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 2007, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Zearing.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of conserved land than Zearing.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Field | — | 8 |
| 2. Zearing Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Praeri Rail Trail | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Zearing; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Zearing residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Zearing’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Zearing is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 528 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Zearing has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.