Median Income
$46,677
household / year
Median Home Value
$42,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$606
gross / month
Cost of Living
82
national avg = 100

Is Dows, IA a Good Place to Live?

Dows is a small town of 535 in Iowa, with a median household income of $46,677 and a 1.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 82 (US average = 100), which is 18% below the national average.

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

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Dows is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Dows 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: 82.0

Dows's overall cost of living index is 82.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Dows costs roughly 18% less than the average American city.

Metric Dows, IA National Avg
Median Home Value $42,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $606 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 76.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $46,677 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Dows's violent crime rate is 79.6 per 100,000 residents — 79% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
79.6 /100k
Property Crime
278.6 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Dows, 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 19.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 94.1% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Dows sees average highs of 25.8°F in January and 85.0°F in July, with 34.9 inches of annual precipitation and 30.0 inches of snow per year.

MetricDows, IA
Average High — January25.8°F
Average High — July85.0°F
Annual Precipitation34.9"
Annual Snowfall30.0"

Demographics

MetricDows, IANational Avg
Population535—
Median Age34.338.9
Unemployment Rate1.1%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.9%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.1%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1826.4%22.2%
65 and over13.5%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Galt, IA 6 mi Popejoy, IA 6 mi Rowan, IA 6 mi Coulter, IA 8 mi Latimer, IA 10 mi

ZIP Codes in Dows

Dows, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

50071

Dows vs Other Cities

Dows, IA vs Galt, IA Dows, IA vs Popejoy, IA Dows, IA vs Rowan, IA Dows, IA vs Coulter, IA Dows, IA vs Latimer, IA

Frequently Asked Questions

Dows's cost of living index is 82, where 100 is the national average. That makes Dows roughly 18% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $42,000 and median rent is $606/month.
Dows's violent crime rate is 79.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 278.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Dows, IA has a population of 535, a median household income of $46,677, and an unemployment rate of 1.1%. 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.
Dows averages 25.8°F in January and 85.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 34.9 inches with about 30.0 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Dows, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 50071.
The population of Dows, Iowa is 535 with a median age of 34.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Dows: cost of living index 82 (100 = US average), median home $42,000, median household income $46,677, crime index 18 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Dows side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.