ElyIA
A town of 2,186, settled in 1872. A typical home worth about $371K.
Population
2,186
+31.1% since 2010
Typical home
$371K
+4.1% in a year
Household income
$106K
median
Jobs based here
279
A commuter town
What makes Ely stand out The 3 things Ely does most differently from other towns.
A growing town Ely has grown 31.1% since 2010 1,776 people in 2010; 2,186 today.
What’s changed most in Ely? 1,776 2010
2,328 2020
2,186 Today
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Residents weigh in
Live in Ely? Is an A for health right?
Agree Disagree
Your answer becomes a post in Ely’s Town Square.
Share something about Ely… Post Start a conversation
Is Ely still affordable for young families? → Where do you go to stay active in Ely? → How do you get to work from Ely? → What’s a piece of Ely history most people don’t know? →
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar. Add an event
The data Ordered by what stands out in Ely. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Ely home is worth about $371K The typical Ely home is worth about $371,000, up 4.1% in a year, 55% above the Iowa typical home.
$371K Zillow home value
Typical home value Ely $371K
Iowa $240K
Market temperature
Seller’s market A strong seller's market Buyer’s Seller’s +4.1%
value change, 1 year
Health
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns Ely beats the Iowa average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
A Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
What stands out Ely IA Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth 4.7% 11.6% Fewer adults with heart disease 3.9% 6.6% More binge drinkers 24.5% 20.5%
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids
7.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
96th
percentile among IA towns
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Ely Most working residents leave Ely for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Cedar Rapids (56%), Iowa City (5%) and Hiawatha (4%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
1% work in town
Where working residents work In Ely 1%
Cedar Rapids 56%
Iowa City 5%
Hiawatha 4%
Coralville 3%
10 mi
median commute distance
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers Ely has cold winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
29″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 15–32°
Spring 38–60°
Summer 61–82°
Fall 40–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 36% of U.S. communities.
36 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
36 Low risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Tornadoes Hail
4
paid flood claims since 1993
4
federal disasters paid out here
Outdoors
2.8% of Ely is conserved land 0.8 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
2.8% conserved
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 2.8%
conserved · 30 of 1,076 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. Ely City Park 0.4 mi 19 2. Vavra Park — 6 3. Community Center Park — 2
A commuter town 99% of working residents leave Ely for work Where Ely’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
56% → Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids 56%
5% → Iowa City Iowa City 5%
4% → Hiawatha Hiawatha 4%
3% → Coralville Coralville 3%
2% → Marion Marion 2%
2% → North Liberty North Liberty 2%
Ely · 1% stay
279 jobs based in Ely
1% of working residents work in town
10 mi median commute distance
How do you get to work from Ely?
Census LEHD 2023
2010 · CS King Building ca 1910 · Wikimedia Commons
Ely’s story
154 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 4 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
Landmarks 4 places in Ely on the National Register of Historic Places.
All landmarks →
Ely is a city in Linn County, Iowa. The population was 2,328 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1872
Population 2,328
Area 1.4 sq mi
Elevation 738 ft
ZIP code 52227
Area code 319 Copyright © 2026 TownTapestry · Stitching communities together · In loving memory of John F. Cullinane Browse by state · Privacy · Terms 
2010 · CS King Building ca 1910
