Is Goose Lake, IA a Good Place to Live?
Goose Lake is a small town of 294 in Iowa, with a median household income of $73,750 and a 4.6% unemployment rate.
Strengths: Goose Lake stands out for below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Goose Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Goose Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Cost of living data is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Goose Lake metro area.
| Metric | Goose Lake, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $124,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 96.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $73,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageGoose Lake's violent crime rate is 301.5 per 100,000 residents — 21% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Goose Lake is served primarily by Northeast Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Goose Lake, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Northeast Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 19.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 77.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Goose Lake sees average highs of 29.3°F in January and 84.0°F in July, with 34.3 inches of annual precipitation and 31.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Goose Lake, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 29.3°F |
| Average High — July | 84.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Goose Lake, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 294 | — |
| Median Age | 30.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 38.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 9.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Goose Lake
Goose Lake, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: