Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Iola’s best subject grade is an A for walkability; its weakest is a D for incomes. Only 39 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns score higher on walkability. Iola has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Iola beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Iola is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 194 in 1880, 1,249 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Iola, 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 Iola.
Its public schools are run by the Iola-Scandinavia School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iola-Scandinavia ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 293 | B |
| Iola-Scandinavia HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 284 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Iola has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Iola’s July high is 81°F, near the Wisconsin town median (82°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Iola’s median household income is $45,000, against $87,000 in Wisconsin’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. 14% of Iola residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Iola has lost 207 jobs, to 482 in 2023.
| Iola | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Iola home is worth about $283,000, up 6.4% in a year, 16% below the Wisconsin typical home. 52% of households own their home in Iola.
| Iola | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $766 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Iola beats the Wisconsin average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Iola | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Iola | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.9% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Iola | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Taylor Field Athletic Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Chester L. Krause Legacy Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Iola; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Iola residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
3 notable people were born in Iola.
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Iola is a village in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2020 census. The village is bordered by the towns of Iola and Scandinavia. The community was named after a Potawatomi princess.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($72,830 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
3 notable people were born here, including Dave Krieg and Tim Polasek.
