.jpg)
Is Fort Madison, IA a Good Place to Live?
Fort Madison is a small city of 10,293 in Iowa, with a median household income of $48,944 and a 5.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Fort Madison stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fort Madison is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fort Madison 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: 88.3Fort Madison's overall cost of living index is 88.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fort Madison costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Fort Madison, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $94,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $806 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 72.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $48,944 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageFort Madison's violent crime rate is 281.0 per 100,000 residents — 26% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fort Madison is served primarily by Fort Madison Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fort Madison, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Fort Madison Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 17.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fort Madison sees average highs of 32.8°F in January and 85.1°F in July, with 39.4 inches of annual precipitation and 18.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fort Madison, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.8°F |
| Average High — July | 85.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 18.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fort Madison, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,293 | — |
| Median Age | 43.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fort Madison
Fort Madison, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: