Waverly makes Iowa’s top 10 on 3 lists
Waverly is ranked on 35 lists against the 143 Iowa towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 3 and the top quarter on 9.
The lists Waverly does best on
Each list ranks every IA town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Waverly marked.
1 spot from the top 25 for college degrees
Lists where Waverly sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Waverly lands in the top half on 16 of 22 lists
Each dot is Waverly’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in IA, the right end is last. Areas where Waverly does best come first.
Younger than 92% of Iowa
Not better or worse, just Waverly’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Every IA list, and where Waverly lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Solon · 95 / 100
#38
Lowest obesity#1 Solon · 29%
#44
Fewest smokers#1 North Liberty · 10%
#31
Most active#1 North Liberty · 15%
#36
Fewest uninsured#1 Robins · 4%
#23
Lowest depression#1 West Liberty · 17%
#16
Closest to a top hospital#1 Spencer · 0.5 mi
#6 
People
Most educated#1 Ames · 65.8%
#26
Youngest#1 Postville · 23.2
#13
Oldest#1 Jefferson · 53.6
#131
Most residents 65+#1 Jefferson · 31.5%
#74
Most kids#1 Postville · 39.6%
#103 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Polk City · 65.8%
#71
Most trails#1 Asbury · 2.5 mi / sq mi
#15
Most walkable#1 Sibley · 100 / sq mi
#119 
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Chariton · 1.1 yrs
#99
Cheapest rent#1 Emmetsburg · $624/mo
#113
Lowest property tax#1 Fort Madison · $1,420/yr
#95
Rent easiest to afford#1 Grimes · 27.9%
#6 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Storm Lake · 10.1 min
#57 
Climate
Snowiest#1 Mason City · 44 in
#15
Least snow#1 Fort Madison · 18 in
#125
Mildest winters#1 Keokuk · 17.6°
#111
Hottest summers#1 Council Bluffs · 86.6°
#115
Coolest summers#1 Waukon · 81.1°
#24
Longest growing season#1 Keokuk · 198 days
#89
Wettest#1 Keokuk · 40 in
#55 
The number on the right is Waverly’s spot. All of Iowa’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every IA list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.