American Express Building-Carroll · National Register of Historic Places
Carroll’s story
159 years in pictures
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1867Carroll is settled
CarrollIA
A town of 10,208, settled in 1867. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,208
+2.2% since 2010
Typical home
$211K
+7.8% in a year
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
43.6
years
Jobs based here
5,933
Balanced
What makes Carroll stand out
The 3 things Carroll does most differently from other towns.
B+School Grade
Schools
#50 for schools in IA
of 139 towns
School Grade B+.
Outdoors
#19 most walkable in IA
3.4 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
3% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Carroll
Health
52% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than IA on 2 measures, worse on 4.
Carroll’s report card
SchoolsB+Beats 70% of IA districtsCommute4 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors3 miof trails · 3% conservedHealthB−Healthier than 48% of U.S. townsHazards32/100Low risk of storm & flood damageClimate84°/10°Summer high · winter low · 35″ snowSafetyBLess crime than 60% of U.S. townsHousing$211K12% below the IA typical home
Now in Carroll
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Carroll is #139 of 143 in IA for “Closest to a top hospital”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Carroll’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →70°
Mostly Cloudy
Tonight L 58°
Local news
All →- 2026 IHSAA - IOWA 1A Summer Baseball Semifinal #2 South Winneshiek vs Newman Catholic - 07/22/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Jul 22
- IHSAA Class 1A & 2A Baseball Tournament in Carroll, IAKCRG · Jul 21
- West Lyon’s magical baseball season ends at State 2-A TournamentDakota News Now · Jul 21
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carroll. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Carroll’s public schools outperform 70% of Iowa districts
The public schools Carroll’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 70% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Elementary School | PK–2 | 419 | Not graded |
| Adams Elementary School | 3–4 | 232 | C |
| Carroll Middle School | 5–8 | 459 | B+ |
| Carroll High School | 9–12 | 483 | A− |
| Kuemper Catholic Grade School Private | PK–12 | 1,175 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 5 schools →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Carroll
45% of Carroll’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Des Moines (2%), Sioux City (2%) and West Des Moines (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
45%work in town
Where working residents work
In Carroll45%
Des Moines2%
Sioux City2%
West Des Moines2%
Denison2%
4 mi
median commute distance
5,933
jobs based in Carroll
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
3% of Carroll is conserved land
3.4 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
3%conserved
3%
conserved · 115 of 3,824 acres
3.4 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
#19
most walkable in IA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Graham Park | 0.3 mi | 18 |
| 2. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Northeast Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 48% of U.S. towns
Carroll beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better26 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Carroll | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.7% |
St. Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home
0.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
39th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 32% of U.S. communities.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesHailInland flooding
3
paid flood claims since 1993
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Carroll has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall39–62°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Who lives here
Older than Iowa overall
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (18% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
43.6median age · IA 38.6
CarrollIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school39%
Some college19%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate7%
| Carroll | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.7% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimatesBy the numbers →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 60% of U.S. towns
Carroll reports less crime per resident than 60% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
BSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Carroll0.6
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Carroll12.2
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
60th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
50th
percentile among IA towns
6
violent crimes reported in 2025
123
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Housing
A typical Carroll home is worth about $211K
The typical Carroll home is worth about $211,000, up 7.8% in a year, 12% below the Iowa typical home.
$211KZillow home value
Typical home value
Carroll$211K
Iowa$240K
Market temperature
29
days on market
93.6%
sale-to-list price
+7.8%
value change, 1 year
15
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Landmarks
5 places in Carroll on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Carroll
City in Iowa, United States
Carroll is a city in, and the county seat of, Carroll County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,321 in the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1867
- Population
- 10,321
- Area
- 5.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,270 ft
- ZIP code
- 51401
- Area code
- 712
More about Carroll
Still missing for Carroll:archive photosupcoming events