Leon is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area. Leon is home to a major rodeo that has been Rodeo of the Year in Iowa for many years.

Official town website ↗

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

Town numbers

ZIP code50144

Area code641

Living in Leon

Housing in Leon

$151K▲ 3.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Leon home is worth about $151,000, up 3.6% in a year, 37% below the Iowa typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Leon

Full picture →

About one in 5 of Leon’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Osceola (13%), West Des Moines (6%) and Des Moines (5%). Half commute less than 26 miles.

Osceola

13%

West Des Moines

Des Moines

Lamoni

22%Work in townlive and work in Leon 26 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 771Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Leon →

Health in Leon

Health Grade C

Healthier than 26% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 51% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Iowa

9worse than IA

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 23 are too close to call.

Conditions 6▼ 6 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care all close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.2%More adults with COPDIA 6.9% · worse 4.3%More adults who have had a strokeIA 3.3% · worse 15%More older adults who have lost all their teethIA 11.6% · worse

Care nearby

Decatur County HospitalLeon · 0.7 mi · ER · rural critical access

Infinity HealthLeon · 0.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Leon · CMS · HRSAHealth in Leon →

Natural hazards in Leon

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 39% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🥶 Cold waves

0Does Leon flood?no paid flood claims on record 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Leon

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Leon →

Climate in Leon

Full climate →

Leon has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

36° / 18°Winter

62° / 40°Spring

84° / 63°Summer

64° / 42°Fall

How much snow does Leon get?About 29 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 8, with the last in spring around Apr 30.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Leon →

Schools in Leon

All Leon schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Leon’s kids attend trail 63% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictCentral Decatur Comm School DistrictSchools3

South Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–2 · 173 students North Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades 3–6 · 168 students Central Decatur MS/HS High School C+High · Grades 7–12 · 291 students

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