City · Decatur County, Iowa

Leon, Iowa

Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa. It has 1,899 residents. Leon, Iowa has a quality-of-life score of 53 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,405 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Iowa it ranks #266 of 281 cities and towns. It ranks best on rent-burdened households (low), job growth (high) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on reading scores (low), average weekly wage (low) and primary care physicians (low).

53Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,405 of 15,651 cities and towns
Iowa: #266 of 281 in IA
Population: 1,899 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 606.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 1944535

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety70#4,762/15,637
Economy50#7,740/15,631
Housing90#1,490/14,977
Health28#11,247/15,609
Healthcare55#6,975/15,650
Environment75#3,815/15,453
Education23#11,987/15,649
Infrastructure33#10,477/15,650
Community44#8,697/15,651
Leisure & amenities47#8,296/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Leon, Iowa ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Decatur County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low23.9%
100/100Iowa 43.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Job growth · high7.7%
99/100Iowa -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDecatur County value
Public libraries · high3.9 /10k
98/100Iowa 1.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesDecatur County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low97 min
97/100Iowa 128 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDecatur County value
Public EV charging ports · high20.9 /10k
96/100Iowa 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyDecatur County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.8×
95/100Iowa 2.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Reading scores · low2.40
1/100Iowa 3.05United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDecatur County value
Average weekly wage · low$830
2/100Iowa $1,221United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDecatur County value
Primary care physicians · low13 /100k
2/100Iowa 74 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDecatur County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Iowa 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDecatur County value
Broadband subscriptions · low79.5%
9/100Iowa 88.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Traffic deaths · high25.8 /100k
11/100Iowa 11.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataDecatur County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsImproving
50.2% (2015-2019) → 23.9% (2020-2024)
−26 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
30.0% (2015-2019) → 15.9% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Average commute timeWorsening
20.2 min (2015-2019) → 26.7 min (2020-2024)
+32%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Median household incomeImproving
$42,679 (2015-2019) → $54,231 (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
18.9% (2015-2019) → 13.9% (2020-2024)
−5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.0% (2015-2019) → 79.5% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Leon, Iowa improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Rent burden−26 points50.2% → 23.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Leon, Iowa between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.2 min2015-2019	26.7 min2020-2024	+6.6 min	Within the margin of error	6%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.9%2015-2019	13.9%2020-2024	−5 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Broadband subscriptions	75.0%2015-2019	79.5%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Effective property tax rate	2.03%2015-2019	1.43%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	94%
High school diploma or higher	86.8%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	1.8×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	75%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4032015-2019	0.3652020-2024	−0.038	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$42,6792015-2019	$54,2312020-2024	+27%	Within the margin of error	49%
Poverty rate	14.7%2015-2019	10.7%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	30.0%2015-2019	15.9%2020-2024	−14 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Rent-burdened households	50.2%2015-2019	23.9%2020-2024	−26 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.5%2015-2019	3.7%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Leon, Iowa five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Leon, Iowa in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Leon, Iowa itself moved +6.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,899 residents (±247)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

818 households (±116)

Leon, Iowa
Iowa share

Under $25k18%†144
$25k–50k27%219
$50k–75k32%†262

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

818 households (±116)

Leon, Iowa
Iowa share

Own51%421
Rent49%397

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

869 workers (±206)

Leon, Iowa
Iowa share

Drive alone81%†704
Carpool8.3%†72
Public transit

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Decatur County, the county holding most of Leon's residents.

Decatur County has 146 employer establishments, 188 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Iowa's), with 1,744 paid employees at an average annual pay of $31,210. The Census Bureau also counts 609 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 146; 609 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 188; US 248 · Iowa 259
Paid employees: 1,744
Average annual pay: $31,210; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Decatur County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	16	20.6	1.33×More than typical	64	$46,328	98
Restaurants and other eating places	10	12.9	0.70×Fewer than typical	58	$9,276	—
Ambulatory health care services	7	9	0.43×Too few to compare	88	$56,966	17
Truck transportation	7	9	1.78×Too few to compare	13	$37,231	23
Building equipment contractors	6	7.7	1.28×Too few to compare	29	$47,552	14
Full-service restaurants	6	7.7	1.00×Too few to compare	37	$8,486	—
Religious organizations	6	7.7	1.39×Too few to compare	15	$11,267	—
Banks and credit unions	5	6.4	1.99×Too few to compare	34	$54,029	—
Gasoline stations	5	6.4	1.98×Too few to compare	67	$28,119	—
Building finishing contractors	4	5.1	1.35×Too few to compare	9	$29,889	27
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	4	5.1	1.63×Too few to compare	10	$50,300	22
Insurance agencies and brokerages	4	5.1	1.17×Too few to compare	5	$65,400	5

Rank places for an industry Open Decatur County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,777 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Leon is mostly in Decatur County.

See federal money in Decatur County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Leon, Iowa is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Zachary NunnR-IA-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 95%Missed 4.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Decatur County65100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Decatur County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1944535

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends