Median Income
$55,000
household / year
Median Home Value
$98,800
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$658
gross / month
Cost of Living
87
national avg = 100

Is Defiance, IA a Good Place to Live?

Defiance is a small town of 194 in Iowa, with a median household income of $55,000 and a 1.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.

Strengths: Defiance stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Defiance is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Defiance city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 86.9

Defiance's overall cost of living index is 86.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Defiance costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.

Metric Defiance, IA National Avg
Median Home Value $98,800 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $658 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 85.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $55,000 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Defiance is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Metric Defiance, IA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 6.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 92.2% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Defiance sees average highs of 30.7°F in January and 85.9°F in July, with 34.3 inches of annual precipitation and 30.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricDefiance, IA
Average High — January30.7°F
Average High — July85.9°F
Annual Precipitation34.3"
Annual Snowfall30.5"

Demographics

MetricDefiance, IANational Avg
Population194—
Median Age47.538.9
Unemployment Rate1.9%3.7%
Avg Commute Time22.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)94.3%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.1%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1821.1%22.2%
65 and over22.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Earling, IA 5 mi Buck Grove, IA 7 mi Manilla, IA 7 mi Irwin, IA 7 mi Kirkman, IA 8 mi

ZIP Codes in Defiance

Defiance, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

51527

Defiance vs Other Cities

Defiance, IA vs Earling, IA Defiance, IA vs Buck Grove, IA Defiance, IA vs Manilla, IA Defiance, IA vs Irwin, IA Defiance, IA vs Kirkman, IA

Frequently Asked Questions

Defiance's cost of living index is 87, where 100 is the national average. That makes Defiance roughly 13% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $98,800 and median rent is $658/month.
Crime data for Defiance is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Defiance, IA has a population of 194, a median household income of $55,000, and an unemployment rate of 1.9%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Defiance averages 30.7°F in January and 85.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 34.3 inches with about 30.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Defiance, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 51527.
The population of Defiance, Iowa is 194 with a median age of 47.5. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Defiance: cost of living index 87 (100 = US average), median home $98,800, median household income $55,000. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Defiance side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.