Iowa Colony, 2020
Iowa Colony’s story
118 years in pictures
Census counts: 585 in 1980, 8,154 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1908Iowa Colony is founded
Photo: 2C2K Photography · CC BY 2.0
Population
20,503
2025 Census estimate · +152.8% since 2020
Typical home
$334K
−4.2% in a year
Household income
$144K
median
Median age
34.7
years
Jobs based here
381
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#260 of 640 in TX
What should you know before moving to Iowa Colony?
Homes are expensive, about $334K for a typical one and 4.1 times the Houston metro’s $82K median household income. Overall it grades C+, 260th among Texas's 640 graded towns. The median household earns $144K and it reports less crime per resident than 76% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 79% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Iowa Colony’s median household income is $144,000, above both Texas’ towns ($69,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. Iowa Colony's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns.
What makes Iowa Colony stand out
Where Iowa Colony beats most towns.
A growing town
Iowa Colony has grown 1,662% since 2010
1,170 counted in 2010 and 8,154 in 2020; an estimated 20,503 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 152.8% since 2020, after 596.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Iowa Colony grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Iowa Colony is from typical.
Its grades run from A for jobs and income (better than 90% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 3.9% of households have no carDOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsBOpen →HealthHCA Houston Healthcare Pearland 8.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trailsC+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market86 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.7; 49% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 60 attractions →Reliant Stadium and 54 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Iowa Colony. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaReliant Stadium
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaDaikin Park
21 mi MuseumRothko Chapel
22 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Center
20 mi Stadium & arenaTDECU Stadium
22 mi Stadium & arenaShell Energy StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Reliant Stadium: User eschipul on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Daikin Park: Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0 · Rothko Chapel: Unknown, Public domain · Toyota Center: Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 · TDECU Stadium: Brian Reading, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shell Energy Stadium: HDFC PR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Iowa Colony: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Iowa Colony, and how to reach them.
PowerJackson Electric Coop14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrazoria County MUD 55No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpHire your ownNo town pickup: you hire a private haulerTown site
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBrazoria County Early Voting ClerkBrazoria County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7758377583 100%Census 2020
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 Iowa Colony.
Iowa Colony has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Texas (mostly inland flooding) and has seen reported crime rise by about half.
OutdoorsC+
0% of Iowa Colony is conserved land
4.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Iowa Colony Park, at 39 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#217for trails in TX
0%
conserved · 0 of 7,023 acres
4.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Iowa Colony Park | 1.7 mi | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
Public schools in Iowa Colony beat 63% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Alvin ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Iowa Colony H S, with 1,781 students.
63%of TX districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridiana ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 794 | B |
| Iowa Colony H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,781 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
SafetyA−
For safety, Iowa Colony earns an A−
Reported crimes rose from 70 to 114 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. At 9.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 90% of Texas’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Iowa Colony is 1 per 1,000 residents.
76%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Iowa Colony | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Iowa Colony1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Iowa Colony7.3
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
76th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
90th
percentile among TX towns
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
100
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Iowa Colony faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Texas towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1984, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Iowa Colony.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
57
paid flood claims since 1984
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About half of Iowa Colony’s working residents commute to Houston
Iowa Colony has 381 jobs for its 3,786 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 35.6 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Most working residents leave Iowa Colony for work: only 0% work in town. Iowa Colony’s average trip to work is 36 minutes. Since 2013, Iowa Colony has added 152 jobs, to 381 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Iowa Colony | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 18% | 9.6% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Iowa Colony0%
Houston45%
Alvin6%
Pearland5%
Sugar Land4%
20 mi
median commute distance
381
jobs based in Iowa Colony
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 6% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Iowa Colony
The Thompsons 3 Wsw weather station, 13 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 297 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Thompsons 3 Wsw weather station, 13 miles away, records that about 122 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Iowa Colony has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 45° and snow is almost unheard of.
94°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter47–66°
Spring61–79°
Summer74–92°
Fall62–82°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D−
For cost of living, Iowa Colony earns a D−
The typical value, about $334K, is 10% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $9,281, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Iowa Colony home is worth about $334,000, down 4.2% in a year, 13% above the Texas typical home.
$334KZillow home value
Typical home value
Iowa Colony$334K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
86
days on market
94.3%
sale-to-list price
−4.2%
value change, 1 year
33
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
Residents of Iowa Colony are healthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Against the 3,212 U.S. towns with household incomes like Iowa Colony’s, it is less healthy than 96%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Iowa Colony beats the Texas average on 8 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 47% of Iowa Colony adults sleep under 7 hours.
50%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Iowa Colony | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 39% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Texas
8 better16 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Iowa Colony | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 6.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 20.6% | 16.4% |
HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
8.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
62nd
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Iowa Colony
19pages on Iowa Colony
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 63% of TX districts · 4 schoolsSafetyA−1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than TX on 8 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$334K typical home · down 4.2% in a yearWork & commuteA$144K median household income · 381 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 79% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Iowa Colony
About 8 of every 100 Iowa Colony residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Iowa Colony for work
Where Iowa Colony’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
381jobs based in Iowa Colony
0%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Iowa Colony
City in Brazoria County, Texas, United States
Iowa Colony is an incorporated Home Rule City in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, in the Houston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 8,154.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1973
- Area
- 7.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 59 ft
- Area code
- 281
Iowa Colony’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Iowa Colony.
AlvinManvelIowa Colony
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Colony | #260 | C+ | D− | A− | B | B− |
| Alvin | #321 | C | C | C+ | B | C |
| Manvel | #227 | C+ | D− | B+ | B | B+ |
Questions about Iowa Colony
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Iowa Colony, TX a good place to live?
Iowa Colony grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #260 of 640 in Texas. It grades B− for health, A− for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Iowa Colony, TX expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.