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Independence

A city of 6,164 people in Iowa
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Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.

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Around town

The places and views that make it Independence

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Outdoors in Independence

Parks & trails →
Map of Independence: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land1.9%74 of 3,923 acres
Trails1.2 mi0.2 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves1012 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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Know Independence

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Independence

City in the United States
1847Established
6,064Population
6.2 sq miArea
935 ftElevation

Independence is a city in, and the county seat of, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,064 at the 2020 census.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code50644
Area code319
Living in Independence

Housing in Independence

$223K▲ 4.9% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Independence home is worth about $223,000, up 4.9% in a year, 7% below the Iowa typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Independence

B+

Safety Grade B+

Independence reports less crime per resident than 65% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000
Independence 1.3
Iowa 2.4
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Independence 8.9
Iowa 12
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Independence

B

Health Grade B

Healthier than 65% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Iowa

2better than IA·1worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 29 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Buchanan County Health CenterIndependence · 0.7 mi · ER · rural critical access
Eastern Iowa Womens Health CenterVinton · 20.7 mi · sliding-scale fees
Primary careShortage · county-wide
DentalNo shortage
Mental healthShortage · county-wide
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Independence · CMS · HRSAHealth in Independence →

Schools in Independence

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A−

School Grade A-

The public schools Independence’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 76% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#43Best public schoolsof 139 in IA
DistrictIndependence Comm School DistrictSchools6

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within IA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from IndependenceWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Independence.Meet them →

Where Independence is

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Locator map of Independence
Wikimedia Commons · Map: The original uploader was Seth Ilys at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Independence

Iowa · IA
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01