Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Passenger Depot-Dows · National Register of Historic Places
Dows’s story
146 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880Dows is settled
DowsIA
A town of 562, settled in 1880. A typical home worth about $116K.
Population
562
−3.2% since 2010
Typical home
$116K
+2.5% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
37
A commuter town
What makes Dows stand out
The thing Dows does most differently from other towns.
Small town
562 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Dows’s report card
Now in Dows
Be the first to start the conversation.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dows. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Dows home is worth about $116K
The typical Dows home is worth about $116,000, up 2.5% in a year, 52% below the Iowa typical home.
$116KZillow home value
Typical home value
Dows$116K
Iowa$240K
+2.5%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Dows
Most working residents leave Dows for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Clarion (13%), Ames (6%) and Iowa Falls (5%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Dows2%
Clarion13%
Ames6%
Iowa Falls5%
Belmond4%
22 mi
median commute distance
37
jobs based in Dows
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Dows has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall38–60°
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
How healthy Dows is
Dows beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Dows | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.5% | 7.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.7% | 11.6% |
Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion
12.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 47% of U.S. communities.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Dows for work
Where Dows’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
37jobs based in Dows
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Dows on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Dows
3 notable people were born in Dows.
About Dows
City in Iowa, US
Dows is a city in Franklin and Wright counties of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 521 at the time of the 2020 census. The town was incorporated on May 3, 1892.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Population
- 521
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
- ZIP code
- 50071