2015 · LaurensCarnegieFreeLib (2) · Wikimedia Commons
Laurens’s story
Laurens in pictures
3 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.
LaurensIA
A town of 1,206. A typical home worth about $75K.
Population
1,206
+0.5% since 2010
Typical home
$75K
−19.8% in a year
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
47.2
years
Jobs based here
947
A job hub
What makes Laurens stand out
The 3 things Laurens does most differently from other towns.
$75Ktypical home
Housing
$75K typical home
69% below the IA typical home
Down 19.8% in a year.
947jobs here
Work
947 jobs
based in Laurens, a regional job hub
42% of working residents work in town.
100 U.S. towns● Laurens
Health
71% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than IA on 0 measures, worse on 11.
Small town
1,206 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Laurens’s report card
Now in Laurens
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Laurens? Is a C for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Laurens’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Laurens. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Laurens home is worth about $75K
The typical Laurens home is worth about $75,000, down 19.8% in a year, 69% below the Iowa typical home.
$75KZillow home value
Typical home value
Laurens$75K
Iowa$240K
−19.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in two working residents works right in Laurens
42% of Laurens’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Pocahontas (8%), Fort Dodge (2%) and Sioux City (2%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
42%work in town
Where working residents work
In Laurens42%
Pocahontas8%
Fort Dodge2%
Sioux City2%
Emmetsburg2%
12 mi
median commute distance
947
jobs based in Laurens
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 29% of U.S. towns
Laurens beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Laurens | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.7% | 11.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 6.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.3% |
Pocahontas Community Hospital
11.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
13th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 29% of U.S. communities.
29risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Laurens’s public schools outperform 32% of Iowa districts
The public schools Laurens’s kids attend trail 68% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens-Marathon Elementary School | PK–6 | 147 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state testsAll 1 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Laurens has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–57°
Summer60–81°
Fall38–60°
Oct 5
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors
3% of Laurens is conserved land
0.9 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
3%conserved
3%
conserved · 14 of 481 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwest Recreational Park | 0.7 mi | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A job hub
Every workday, about 737 people come to Laurens for work
Where Laurens’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
947jobs based in Laurens
42%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Laurens
City in Iowa, United States
Laurens is a city in Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. Its population was 1,264 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,264
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,309 ft
- ZIP code
- 50554
- Area code
- 712