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Derby vs Mitchell

168 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (10 min in Mitchell) and property tax bill (+33% in Mitchell).

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Derby, IAA small town of 110Iowa · 110 people
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Mitchell, IAA small town of 117Iowa · 117 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.

DerbyA small town of 110
Quiet strengthsDerby doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Derby →
MitchellA small town of 117
Quiet strengthsMitchell doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Mitchell →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $150 more a month in Mitchell

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.

Derby$580/mo
Typical home $93K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · Housing →
Mitchell$730/mo
Typical home $116K (Census) · tax rate 1.25% · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Mitchell and Derby.

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.

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
DerbyMitchell
Snow a year24″40″
January low11°F6°F
July high85°F81°F
Growing season (days)151d163d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)55th82nd
Outdoors & history
DerbyMitchell
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land3.2%5.5%
National Register places—1
Archive photos4—
Famous people born here2—
Community
DerbyMitchell
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

168 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Derby ↔ Mitchell168 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.

DerbyMitchell
People
Population 110Lowest 117Highest
Median age 41.8±20.3Lowest 8% above IA 45.3±11Highest 17% above IA
Mitchell and Derby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 31.8%±19.3Highest IA: 22.9% 12.8%±21.5Lowest IA: 22.9%
Derby and Mitchell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 26.4%±12.7Highest IA: 18.1% 22.2%±14Lowest IA: 18.1%
Derby and Mitchell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 1.4%Lowest IA: 31.4% 4.4%Highest IA: 31.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±9.3 IA: 6.2% 0.9%±8.9 IA: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,250±$31kLowest 25% below IA $72,500±$55kHighest 3% below IA
Mitchell and Derby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $92,500±$25kLowest 56% below IA $116,100±$19kHighest 44% below IA
Mitchell and Derby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,091Lowest 62% below IA $1,450Highest 50% below IA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 IA: 43.9% —
Below poverty line 35.5%Highest IA: 11.1% 7.7%Lowest IA: 11.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 97.4%Lowest IA: 71.7% 100%Highest IA: 71.7%
Typical home builtmedian year 1953Lowest 19 yrs older than IA 1955Highest 17 yrs older than IA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 89% above IA 28 minLowest 39% above IA
Work from home 9.3%±12.8Highest IA: 11.3% 0%±15.9Lowest IA: 11.3%
Derby and Mitchell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 46.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.00Lowest 0.37Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Chariton (14%)St. Ansgar (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MitchellFew work in Derby
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Lowest 5.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 98.7Highest 56.7Lowest
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.

Derby neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Derby’s Town Square.

Mitchell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mitchell’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Derby

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.

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