Is Le Mars, IA a Good Place to Live?
Le Mars is a small city of 10,549 in Iowa, with a median household income of $73,734 and a 2.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Le Mars 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: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Le Mars is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Le Mars 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: 91.9Le Mars's overall cost of living index is 91.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Le Mars costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Le Mars, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $186,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $834 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 68.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $73,734 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLe Mars's violent crime rate is 94.1 per 100,000 residents — 75% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Le Mars is served primarily by Le Mars Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Le Mars, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Le Mars Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Le Mars sees average highs of 27.2°F in January and 84.5°F in July, with 30.0 inches of annual precipitation and 30.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Le Mars, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 27.2°F |
| Average High — July | 84.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 30.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Le Mars, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,549 | — |
| Median Age | 39.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 16.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Le Mars
Le Mars, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: