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Adel vs Sergeant Bluff

132 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+48.5 pts in Adel) and work from home (+10.5 pts in Adel).

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Adel, IAKnown for its schoolsIowa · 6,430 people

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Sergeant Bluff, IAKnown for its schoolsIowa · 5,171 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AdelKnown for its schools

Schools#10 for schools in IAof 139 towns Housing$401K typical home67% above the IA typical home HealthHealthier than 82%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Adel →

Sergeant BluffKnown for its schools

Schools#27 for schools in IAof 139 towns HealthHealthier than 82%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$362K typical home51% above the IA typical home All about Sergeant Bluff →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+48.5 pts

Adel has grown faster since 2010

Adel +67.1%Sergeant Bluff +18.6%

Work from home+10.5 pts

More people work from home in Adel

Adel 15.8%Sergeant Bluff 5.3%

Average commute8 min

Sergeant Bluff has the shorter commute

Adel 22 minSergeant Bluff 13 min

Property tax bill+18%

Tax bills are bigger in Adel

Adel $4,217Sergeant Bluff $3,561

Street grid+46%

Sergeant Bluff has the more walkable street grid

Sergeant Bluff 67.4Adel 46.3

Homeowners+8 pts renters

Adel has more renters

Sergeant Bluff 73.2%Adel 65.2%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Adel

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Adel$2,530/mo

Typical home $401K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.29% · or rent about $926/mo · Housing →

Sergeant Bluff$2,260/mo

Typical home $362K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,156/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,300 a year, between Adel and Sergeant Bluff.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Adel places higher on 9 of 20 IA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Iowa ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B+AdelSafer than 70% of U.S. towns –Sergeant BluffNot graded

Schools

AAdelBetter than 89% of districts in the state ASergeant BluffBetter than 85% of districts in the state

Health

A−AdelHealthier than 82% of U.S. towns A−Sergeant BluffHealthier than 82% of U.S. towns

9Adel

8Sergeant Bluff

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 143 towns #106#18 Most remote workersWork · 143 towns #23#109 Most walkableOutdoors · 143 towns #97#42 Lowest depressionHealth · 143 towns #60#16 Cheapest rentCost of living · 140 towns #78#121 Most new homesHousing · 138 towns #12#39 Most conserved landOutdoors · 138 towns #56#83 Highest incomeIncome · 143 towns #26#5

Left end = #1 in Iowa. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Adel’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AdelSergeant Bluff

Snow a year25″36″

January low12°F 10°F

July high86°F 85°F

Growing season (days)173d 159d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th 31st

Outdoors & history

AdelSergeant Bluff

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.5%2.5%

Settled1847 —

National Register places4 —

Community

AdelSergeant Bluff

Library hours a week45 hrs 47 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

132 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AdelIA Sergeant BluffIA

Adel ↔ Sergeant Bluff132 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Iowa average

AdelSergeant Bluff

People

Population 6,430Highest 5,171Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +67.1%Highest IA: +4.7% +18.6%Lowest IA: +4.7%

Median age 36.5±1.6Lowest 5% below IA 36.9±5.9Highest 4% below IA

Sergeant Bluff and Adel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 30.4%±5.2Highest IA: 22.9% 27.7%±5.6Lowest IA: 22.9%

Adel and Sergeant Bluff are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.3%±2.9Lowest IA: 18.1% 12.5%±3Highest IA: 18.1%

Sergeant Bluff and Adel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 37.9%Highest IA: 31.4% 36.7%Lowest IA: 31.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±2.1Lowest IA: 6.2% 4.1%±2.7Highest IA: 6.2%

Sergeant Bluff and Adel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $95,250±$23kLowest 27% above IA $123,481±$15kHighest 65% above IA

Sergeant Bluff and Adel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $327,900±$27kHighest 58% above IA $298,500±$26kLowest 44% above IA

Adel and Sergeant Bluff are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $926±$195Lowest 5% below IA $1,156±$211Highest 19% above IA

Sergeant Bluff and Adel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,217Highest 46% above IA $3,561Lowest 23% above IA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47%±18.6Highest IA: 43.9% 30.4%±18.7Lowest IA: 43.9%

Adel and Sergeant Bluff are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 7.2%Lowest IA: 11.1% 9.5%Highest IA: 11.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.2%Lowest IA: 71.7% 73.2%Highest IA: 71.7%

Typical home builtmedian year 1992Lowest 20 yrs newer than IA 1996Highest 24 yrs newer than IA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 10% above IA 13 minLowest 32% below IA

Work from home 15.8%±4.2Highest IA: 11.3% 5.3%±4.1Lowest IA: 11.3%

Work in townworking residents 11.6%Lowest 12.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 6.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.70Lowest 0.71Highest

Top workplaceoutside town West Des Moines (19%)Sioux City (47%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Sergeant BluffFew work in Adel

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 46.3Lowest 67.4Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #10 of 139 in IA #27 of 139 in IA

School district Adel DeSoto Minburn Comm School DistrictSergeant Bluff-Luton Comm School District

High school in town ADM Senior High SchoolSergeant Bluff-Luton Senior High School

Students per teacherat that high school 15.5Lowest 16.7Highest

Iowa average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Adel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Adel’s Town Square.

Sergeant Bluff neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sergeant Bluff’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Adel

Grinnell9,505 people · $210K homes

Decorah7,535 people · $245K homes

Le Claire4,735 people · $319K homes

Hiawatha7,206 people · $217K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.