Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Mapleton vs Paullina

56 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (8 min in Paullina) and trails (+75% in Mapleton).

×
Mapleton, IAHomes around $175KIowa · 989 people
×
Paullina, IAHomes around $185KIowa · 869 people
Swap order
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.

MapletonHomes around $175K
Housing$175K typical home27% below the IA typical home All about Mapleton →
PaullinaHomes around $185K
Housing$185K typical home23% below the IA typical home SchoolsBetter than 33%of IA districts All about Paullina →
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.

Average commute8 min
Paullina has the shorter commute
Mapleton 23 minPaullina 16 min
Trails+75%
Mapleton has more miles of trail
Mapleton 0.7 miPaullina 0.4 mi
Street grid+51%
Paullina has the more walkable street grid
Paullina 95.7Mapleton 63.5
Work in town+9 pts
More of Mapleton’s workers stay in town
Mapleton 19%Paullina 10%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools
B−MapletonBetter than 48% of districts in the state CPaullinaBetter than 33% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Mapleton$1,090/mo
Typical home $175K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $846/mo · Housing →
Paullina$1,120/mo
Typical home $185K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $864/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
MapletonPaullina
Snow a year31″35″
January low9°F9°F
July high84°F85°F
Growing season (days)151d163d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th61st
Outdoors & history
MapletonPaullina
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled—1882
National Register places1—
Famous people born here5—
Community
MapletonPaullina
Library hours a week43 hrs32 hrs
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

56 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MapletonIAPaullinaIA
Mapleton ↔ Paullina56 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.

MapletonPaullina
People
Population 989Highest 869Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.8%Highest IA: +4.7% -7%Lowest IA: +4.7%
Median age 53.1±7.7Highest 38% above IA 51.6±7.9Lowest 34% above IA
Mapleton and Paullina are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 15.8%±3.4Lowest IA: 22.9% 17%±5.9Highest IA: 22.9%
Paullina and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29.1%±5.6Highest IA: 18.1% 25%±3.1Lowest IA: 18.1%
Mapleton and Paullina are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.3%Highest IA: 31.4% 18.6%Lowest IA: 31.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±1.3Highest IA: 6.2% 2.1%±2.1Lowest IA: 6.2%
Mapleton and Paullina are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $55,208±$12kLowest 26% below IA $61,250±$25kHighest 18% below IA
Paullina and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $113,000±$31kLowest 46% below IA $132,600±$20kHighest 36% below IA
Paullina and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $846±$69Lowest 13% below IA $864±$240Highest 11% below IA
Paullina and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,313Highest 55% below IA $1,279Lowest 56% below IA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.6%±15.7Highest IA: 43.9% 23.4%±24.8Lowest IA: 43.9%
Mapleton and Paullina are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.4%Highest IA: 11.1% 7.7%Lowest IA: 11.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 74%Lowest IA: 71.7% 75.2%Highest IA: 71.7%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Highest 14 yrs older than IA 1951Lowest 21 yrs older than IA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 18% above IA 16 minLowest 22% below IA
Work from home 7.3%±3.6Lowest IA: 11.3% 10%±6.4Highest IA: 11.3%
Paullina and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19%Highest 10%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.3 miHighest 18.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.86Highest 0.70Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux City (12%)Orange City (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PaullinaFew work in Mapleton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 mi 0.4 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 63.5Lowest 95.7Highest
Schools
School district Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Comm School DistrictSouth O'Brien Comm School District
High school in town Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High SchoolSouth O'Brien Secondary School
Students per teacherat that high school 11.4Lowest 11.7Highest
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.

Mapleton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mapleton’s Town Square.

Paullina neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Paullina’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Mapleton and Paullina

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Mapleton

+ Compare
Griswold975 people · $99K homes
O
+ Compare
Odebolt945 people · $99K homes
E
+ Compare
Elgin735 people · $99K homes
S
+ Compare
Sutherland629 people · $101K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Iowa towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Post to Mapleton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in