IolaPA
A town of 179, settled in 1863.
Is Iola a good place to live?
37% of residents live below the poverty line in Iola, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 4 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Iola. Iola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
179 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Iola: who provides what
Iola is unincorporated, so Columbia County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Iola.
Iola has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Half commute less than 12 miles. Iola’s average trip to work stands at 23 minutes, against 26 minutes in Pennsylvania’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Bloomsburg (10%), Mahoning Township (10%) and Millville (8%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Iola’s year
Iola’s peak summer temperature comes in at 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Iola is
For adults in Iola, the share who report frequent mental distress is 19%. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes here.
| Iola | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Iola | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 21.8% | 15.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.7% | 14.5% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.4% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Iola: inland flooding
The risk rating from FEMA for Iola comes to 55 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 79% come from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Iola
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Iola
About 0 of every 100 Iola residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
100% of working residents leave Iola for work
Where Iola’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Iola
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Iola is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 154 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 653 ft
Questions about Iola
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Iola, PA a good place to live?
Iola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.