Iola () is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn, the wife of Josiah Colborn, one of the town's founders.

Official town website ↗

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

How Iola ranks

All →

#1Most trails in KS #4Closest to a top hospital in KS #6Most affordable in KS All KS rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code66749

Area code620

Living in Iola

Safety in Iola

Safety Grade D

Iola reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Iola 4.5

Kansas 4.8

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Iola 24.4

Kansas 19.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Iola

Full picture →

About one in 3 of Iola’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Humboldt (7%), Chanute (6%) and Arkansas City (4%). Half commute less than 17 miles.

Humboldt

Chanute

Arkansas City

Wichita

37%Work in townlive and work in Iola 17 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 3,217Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Iola →

Health in Iola

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 44% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 76% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Kansas

4worse than KS

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 28 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▼ 8 close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

16.6%More older adults who have lost all their teethKS 11.3% · worse 8.1%More adults with COPDKS 6.7% · worse 3.7%More adults who have had a strokeKS 3.2% · worse

Care nearby

Allen County Regional HospitalIola · 0.7 mi · ER · rural critical access

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas/IolaIola · 1 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 Iola · CMS · HRSAHealth in Iola →

Natural hazards in Iola

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 46% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🌡️ Heat waves

65Does Iola flood?paid flood claims since 1979 5Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Iola MapIola vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

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

Climate in Iola

Full climate →

Iola has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

45° / 25°Winter

67° / 45°Spring

88° / 67°Summer

69° / 46°Fall

How much snow does Iola get?About 7 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 26, with the last in spring around Apr 8.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.4° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

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

Schools in Iola

All Iola schools →

C⁻

School Grade C-

The public schools Iola’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 77% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Iola’s schools compare in KS →

DistrictIolaSchools4

Iola Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–5 · 619 students Iola Middle School C-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 238 students Iola Sr High CHigh · Grades 9–12 · 296 students Iola High School VirtualHigh · Grades 9–12 · 22 students

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