Is Guthrie Center, IA a Good Place to Live?
Guthrie Center is a small town of 1,605 in Iowa, with a median household income of $61,607 and a 1.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 93 (US average = 100), which is 7% below the national average.
Strengths: Guthrie Center stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Guthrie Center is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Guthrie Center 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: 92.7Guthrie Center's overall cost of living index is 92.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Guthrie Center costs roughly 7% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Guthrie Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $100,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $773 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $61,607 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Guthrie Center is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Guthrie Center is served primarily by Guthrie Center Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Guthrie Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Guthrie Center Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 21.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Guthrie Center sees average highs of 29.7°F in January and 85.1°F in July, with 37.1 inches of annual precipitation and 32.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Guthrie Center, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 29.7°F |
| Average High — July | 85.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Guthrie Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,605 | — |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Guthrie Center
Guthrie Center, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: