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PattersonIowaCommunityCenter

PattersonIA

A town of 346.

Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
346
residents
Median home value
$111K
Census ACS
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Small town

346 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Patterson’s report card

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63°
Cloudy
H 73° · L 58°

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Patterson. Another town gets a different order.

Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Patterson

Most working residents leave Patterson for work: only 0% work in town. The top destinations are Des Moines (27%), West Des Moines (23%) and Winterset (6%). Half commute less than 19 miles.

0%work in town

Where working residents work

In Patterson0%
Des Moines27%
West Des Moines23%
Winterset6%
Indianola6%
19 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in Patterson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Patterson has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

31″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–84°
Fall41–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health

How healthy Patterson is

Patterson beats the Iowa average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.

32 measures vs. Iowa
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
What stands outPattersonIA
Fewer adults facing food insecurity8.1%12%
Fewer adults with COPD5.1%6.9%
Madison County Health Care System
7.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 44% of U.S. communities.

44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
44Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
paid flood claims since 1999
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing

Homes in Patterson sell for about $243K

The median sale price was $243,000 in March 2026.

$243Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Patterson for work

Where Patterson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

27% → Des Moines Des Moines 27% 23% → West Des Moines West Des Moines 23% 6% → Winterset Winterset 6% 6% → Indianola Indianola 6% 3% → Urbandale Urbandale 3% 3% → Marshalltown Marshalltown 3% Patterson · 0% stay
26jobs based in Patterson
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Central Iowa to move (17)
2024 · Central Iowa to move (17) · Wikimedia Commons
Patterson’s story

Patterson in pictures

10 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.

IAMap-doton-PattersonCentral Iowa to move (18)Central Iowa to move (19)
Explore the history →

About Patterson

City in Iowa, USA

Patterson is a city in Madison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 176 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Population
176
Area
0.5 sq mi
Elevation
889 ft
ZIP code
50218

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Photo of Patterson

Patterson, IA · Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗