Boone County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Boone’s story
161 years in pictures
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1865Boone is settled
BooneIA
A town of 12,424, settled in 1865. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: Dan Breyfogle · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
12,424
−1.6% since 2010
Typical home
$213K
+2% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
41.3
years
Jobs based here
4,239
Balanced
What makes Boone stand out
The 3 things Boone does most differently from other towns.
Boone’s report card
Now in Boone
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Boone is #5 of 121 in IA for “Highest graduation rate”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Boone’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →70°
Clear
H 72° · L 63°
Local news
All →- Boone Police Release More Detail About Two Bodies Found Mondaynewsradio 1040 who · Sep 4
- Boone woman dies after car crash on Hwy 30WHO13.com · Jul 29
- State News: Boone Dairy Expansion, Lottery Leadership, State Fair and RAGBRAIwesterniowatoday.com · Jul 22
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Boone. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Boone’s public schools outperform 42% of Iowa districts
The public schools Boone’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 58% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ledges Elementary School | PK–1 | 336 | Not graded |
| Franklin Elementary School | 2–4 | 329 | B |
| Trinity Lutheran School Private | PK–8 | 149 | |
| Sacred Heart School Private | PK–8 | 91 | |
| Boone Middle School | 5–8 | 586 | C− |
| Boone High School | 9–12 | 704 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Outdoors
4.7% of Boone is conserved land
4.5 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
4.7%conserved
4.7%
conserved · 277 of 5,889 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#49
most conserved land in IA
#37
most walkable in IA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McHose Park | 0.3 mi | 220 |
| 2. Herman Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Boone home is worth about $213K
The typical Boone home is worth about $213,000, up 2% in a year, 11% below the Iowa typical home.
$213KZillow home value
Typical home value
Boone$213K
Iowa$240K
Market temperature
19
days on market
96%
sale-to-list price
+2%
value change, 1 year
24
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Boone tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Boone County Hospital
0.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
42nd
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Boone has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring38–59°
Summer61–82°
Fall40–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Boone
About one in 4 of Boone’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Ames (24%), Des Moines (6%) and West Des Moines (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
25%work in town
Where working residents work
In Boone25%
Ames24%
Des Moines6%
West Des Moines3%
Ankeny3%
14 mi
median commute distance
4,239
jobs based in Boone
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Crime reported in Boone
Boone's reported crime rate is below Iowa's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 11 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Boone0.9
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Boone6.8
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
85
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
paid flood claims since 2015
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
10 places in Boone on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Boone
Place in Iowa, United States
Boone ( BOON) is a city in Des Moines Township and the county seat of Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area comprise the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area. The population of the city was reported as 12,460 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1865
- Population
- 12,460
- Area
- 9.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,135 ft
- ZIP code
- 50036, 50037, 50099
- Area code
- 515
More about Boone
Still missing for Boone:archive photosupcoming events