Most working residents leave Westside for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Denison (28%), Carroll (15%) and West Des Moines (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.

Denison

28%

Carroll

15%

West Des Moines

Omaha, NE

1%Work in townlive and work in Westside 14 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 127Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Westside →

Health in Westside

Compared with Iowa

2better than IA·7worse

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

Conditions 7▼ 5 close Habits all close Care 2▲ 5 close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

82.2%More adults treating high blood pressureIA 77.8% · better 86.8%More adults getting cholesterol checkedIA 84.1% · better 9.2%More adults with heart diseaseIA 6.6% · worse

Care nearby

Manning Regional Healthcare CenterManning · 11.8 mi · ER · rural critical access

United Community Health Center of Storm Lake - ReplacementStorm Lake · 39.9 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 Westside · CMS · HRSAHealth in Westside →

Natural hazards in Westside

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities.

🌵 Drought🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes

0Does Westside flood?no paid flood claims on record 3Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Westside

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

Climate in Westside

Full climate →

Westside has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

31° / 14°Winter

59° / 37°Spring

82° / 60°Summer

61° / 39°Fall

How much snow does Westside get?About 35 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 11, with the last in spring around Apr 27.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.9° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

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

Schools in Westside

All Westside schools →

School Grade A

The public schools Westside’s kids attend outperform 87% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

DistrictAr-We-Va Comm School DistrictSchools2

Ar-We-Va Elementary Community School B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 141 students Westside Junior-Senior High School A-High · Grades 6–12 · 108 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.