Allen County Jail · National Register of Historic Places
Iola’s story
167 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1859Iola is settled
IolaKS
A town of 5,348, settled in 1859. More miles of trail than almost any town in Kansas.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Thrive Allen County · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
5,348
−5.4% since 2010
Median home value
$78K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
32.6
years
Jobs based here
3,217
Balanced
What makes Iola stand out
The 3 things Iola does most differently from other towns.
Outdoors
#1 most trails in KS
12 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
2.1% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Iola
Health
56% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than KS on 0 measures, worse on 4.
100 U.S. towns● Iola
Safety
Safer than 10%
of U.S. towns we grade
Safety Grade D. FBI data, crimes reported to police.
Get outside
12 miles of trails in Iola
2.1% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Iola’s report card
Now in Iola
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Iola is #1 of 107 in KS for “Most trails”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Iola’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Iola. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
2.1% of Iola is conserved land
12 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves. More trails than any other town in Kansas.
#1for trails in KS
2.1%
conserved · 67 of 3,129 acres
12 mi
of trails · 2.4 per sq mi
#40
most walkable in KS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lehigh Portland State Park | 8.7 mi | 309 |
| 2. Riverside Park | 0.6 mi | 46 |
| 3. Colborn Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 44% of U.S. towns
Iola beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Kansas
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Iola | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.6% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 6.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.7% | 3.2% |
Allen County Regional Hospital
0.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
38th
percentile among KS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Iola
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.
37%work in town
Where working residents work
In Iola37%
Humboldt7%
Chanute6%
Arkansas City4%
Wichita3%
17 mi
median commute distance
3,217
jobs based in Iola
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 10% of U.S. towns
Iola reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Iola4.5
Kansas4.8
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Iola24.4
Kansas19.2
U.S.15.5
10th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
7th
percentile among KS towns
24
violent crimes reported in 2025
129
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Schools
Iola’s public schools outperform 23% of Kansas districts
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.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iola Elementary School | PK–5 | 619 | Not graded |
| Iola Middle School | 6–8 | 238 | C− |
| Iola Sr High | 9–12 | 296 | C |
| Iola High School Virtual | 9–12 | 22 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
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.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–45°
Spring45–67°
Summer67–88°
Fall46–69°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 46% of U.S. communities.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
65
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
College town
Allen County Community College calls Iola home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Landmarks
4 places in Iola on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Iola
City in Allen County, Kansas
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.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1859
- Population
- 5,396
- Area
- 4.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 971 ft
- ZIP code
- 66749
- Area code
- 620
Iola’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Iola.