Is Leon, IA a Good Place to Live?
Leon is a small town of 1,707 in Iowa, with a median household income of $56,818 and a 1.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 84 (US average = 100), which is 16% below the national average.
Strengths: Leon stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Leon is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Leon 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: 84.0Leon's overall cost of living index is 84.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Leon costs roughly 16% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Leon, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $77,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $534 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 50.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $56,818 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Leon is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Leon is served primarily by Central Decatur Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Leon, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Central Decatur Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Leon sees average highs of 32.7°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 39.3 inches of annual precipitation and 28.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Leon, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.7°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Leon, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,707 | — |
| Median Age | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 96.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 26.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Leon
Leon, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: