Larry Miller Constructing an Accordion, 2005
Iota’s story
126 years in pictures
Census counts: 769 in 1910, 1,304 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
- 1900Iota is settled
IotaLA
A town of 1,253, settled in 1900.
Population
1,253
2025 Census estimate · −3.7% since 2020
Typical home
$189K
+7.3% in a year
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
30.3
years
Jobs based here
93
A commuter town
Is Iota a good place to live?
The best of Iota’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Iota’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both the Louisiana town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 9 of Louisiana’s 253 towns score higher on cost of living. The median household income is $41K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. On the outdoors, just 20 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do worse. Iota has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Iota stand out
Where Iota beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Iota$189K
Louisiana$214K
Cost of livingA+
3.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 98% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Acadia Parish schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Iota Elementary School | PK–5 | 585 |
| Iota Middle School | 6–8 | 235 |
| Iota High School | 9–12 | 566 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Hurricanes and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A shrinking town
Iota has shrunk 16% since 2010
1,500 counted in 2010 and 1,304 in 2020; an estimated 1,253 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Iota grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Iota is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income93 jobs based hereDOpen →HealthAcadia General Hospital 10.5 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 11.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History5 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.3; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Iota: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Iota, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthwest Louisiana E M C11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Iota Water System11 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Iota’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAcadia Parish Registrar of VotersAcadia Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7054370543 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Iota.
HealthD
Residents of Iota are less healthy than 89% of U.S. towns
Iota beats the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 21% of Iota adults report frequent mental distress, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 17% across U.S. towns. 19% of Iota adults binge drink.
11%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Iota | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
1 better30 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Iota | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.3% | 12.4% |
| More adults with depression | 31.9% | 26.6% |
Acadia General Hospital
10.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
Iota’s schools rank ahead of 77% of Louisiana districts
Its public schools are run by the Acadia Parish school district. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Iota High School, with 566 students.
77%of LA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iota Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 585 | A− |
| Iota High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 566 | A− |
| Iota Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 235 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Iota, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Iota.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingCold waves
6
paid flood claims since 1982
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Iota’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Iota for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Crowley (15%), Lafayette (14%) and Jennings (7%). Half commute less than 27 miles.
3%work in town
| Iota | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Iota3%
Crowley15%
Lafayette14%
Jennings7%
Eunice4%
27 mi
median commute distance
93
jobs based in Iota
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Iota has mild winters and hot summers
Iota has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Iota’s July high is 92°F.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–64°
Spring58–79°
Summer73–91°
Fall59–80°
Dec 4
typical first frost
Feb 20
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A+
Iota stands out in Louisiana and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
The median rent in Iota is $491 a month. Typical home values rose 7.3% in the year to September 2026. 59% of households own their home in Iota.
$189KZillow home value
| Iota | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $491 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Iota$189K
Louisiana$214K
+7.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Iota
18pages on Iota
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Iota
About 5 of every 100 Iota residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
Small town
1,253 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Famous people from Iota
5 notable people were born in Iota.
About Iota
Town in Louisiana, United States
Iota is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The population was 1,304 in 2020. Iota is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- ZIP code
- 70543
- Area code
- 337
Questions about Iota
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Iota, LA expensive?
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 A+.
What is Iota, LA known for?
5 notable people were born here, including George Stanley and Buford Jordan.