Carnegie Library · National Register of Historic Places
Sheldon’s story
Sheldon in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →SheldonIA
A town of 5,474. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Population
5,474
+6.2% since 2010
Typical home
$229K
+8% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
37.6
years
Jobs based here
3,559
Balanced
What makes Sheldon stand out
The 3 things Sheldon does most differently from other towns.
College town
Northwest Iowa Community College calls Sheldon home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Sheldon’s report card
SchoolsA−Beats 82% of IA districtsCommute10 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthB−Healthier than 47% of U.S. townsHazards28/100Low risk of storm & flood damageClimate84°/7°Summer high · winter low · 41″ snowSafetyB−Less crime than 46% of U.S. townsHousing$229K4% below the IA typical homeOutdoors0 miof trails · 1.7% conserved
Now in Sheldon
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Sheldon is #143 of 143 in IA for “Longest growing season”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Sheldon’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →66°
Fog/Mist
Tonight L 60°
Local news
All →- Le Mars volleyball plays at Cherokee tournamentThe N'West Iowa REVIEW · Sep 24
- Illegal alien living in Sheldon sentenced to federal prisonThe N'West Iowa REVIEW · Sep 22
- Explosion reported at Kent Feeds in Sheldon, IAktiv.com · Sep 21
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sheldon. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Sheldon’s public schools outperform 82% of Iowa districts
The public schools Sheldon’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 82% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary School | PK–4 | 468 | A |
| Sheldon Christian School Private | PK–8 | 106 | |
| St. Patrick Elementary School Private | PK–8 | 51 | |
| Sheldon Middle School | 5–8 | 312 | B+ |
| Sheldon High School | 9–12 | 356 | A− |
| Little Orabs Preschool | PK | 43 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Sheldon
40% of Sheldon’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Sioux Center (6%), Orange City (5%) and Sioux City (3%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
40%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sheldon40%
Sioux Center6%
Orange City5%
Sioux City3%
Boyden3%
10 mi
median commute distance
3,559
jobs based in Sheldon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 47% of U.S. towns
Sheldon beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Sheldon | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.4% | 7.3% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 62.1% | 66.8% |
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center
0.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
38th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 28% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2010
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Sheldon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–82°
Fall37–60°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 46% of U.S. towns
Sheldon reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 54% report less.
B−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sheldon3.2
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sheldon3.4
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
46th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
39th
percentile among IA towns
18
violent crimes reported in 2025
19
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Housing
A typical Sheldon home is worth about $229K
The typical Sheldon home is worth about $229,000, up 8% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home.
$229KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sheldon$229K
Iowa$240K
+8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
1.7% of Sheldon is conserved land
0.4 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 52 of 3,072 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sheldon City Park | 0.3 mi | 12 |
| 2. Hills Park | — | 15 |
| 3. Sunrise Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Sheldon
City in Iowa, USA
Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 5,512 at the time of the 2020 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 5,512
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,427 ft
- ZIP code
- 51201
- Area code
- 712