Illinois Central Combination Depot-Ackley · National Register of Historic Places
Ackley’s story
174 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1852Ackley is settled
AckleyIA
A town of 1,482, settled in 1852. A typical home worth about $148K.
Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,482
+0.6% since 2010
Typical home
$148K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
46.7
years
Jobs based here
455
A commuter town
What makes Ackley stand out
The 3 things Ackley does most differently from other towns.
Small town
1,482 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Ackley’s report card
Now in Ackley
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Ackley? Is a C for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Ackley’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ackley. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Ackley home is worth about $148K
The typical Ackley home is worth about $148,000, up 5.4% in a year, 38% below the Iowa typical home.
$148KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ackley$148K
Iowa$240K
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Ackley
Most working residents leave Ackley for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Iowa Falls (10%), Eldora (7%) and Waterloo (5%). Half commute less than 25 miles.
16%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ackley16%
Iowa Falls10%
Eldora7%
Waterloo5%
Marshalltown4%
25 mi
median commute distance
455
jobs based in Ackley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Ackley’s public schools outperform 31% of Iowa districts
The public schools Ackley’s kids attend trail 69% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGWSR Elementary School | K–5 | 227 | C |
| The Cougars Den | PK–K | 35 | Not graded |
| AGWSR High School | 9–12 | 190 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state testsAll 3 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Ackley has cold winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
Healthier than 35% of U.S. towns
Ackley beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Ackley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 6.6% |
Hansen Family Hospital
11.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
19th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailDrought
2
paid flood claims since 2013
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
0% of Ackley is conserved land
0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,583 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Bridges Park | — | 81 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
84% of working residents leave Ackley for work
Where Ackley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
455jobs based in Ackley
16%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ackley
City in Franklin and Hardin Counties, Iowa
Ackley is a city in the Franklin and Hardin counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,599 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1852
- Population
- 1,599
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,093 ft
- ZIP code
- 50601
- Area code
- 641