Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety58#387/924
Economy57#395/925
Housing57#400/925
Health50#461/925
Healthcare56#407/923
Environment54#421/917
Education55#413/925
Infrastructure45#509/925
Community91#87/925
Leisure & amenities88#114/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Job growth · high4.4%
98/100Iowa -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Social associations · high16.3 /10k
93/100Iowa 14.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
93/100Iowa 2.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Public libraries · high1.5 /10k
90/100Iowa 1.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low8.6 /100k
90/100Iowa 9.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high13.0 /10k
90/100Iowa 9.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high16.5 mi
6/100Iowa 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
New business applications · low7.7 /1k
7/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · low111 /100k
13/100Iowa 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.28%
19/100Iowa 1.33%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Distance to an airport · high93 mi
20/100Iowa 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · high18.0%
22/100Iowa 16.4%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
0.3 /1k (2021) → 3.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+864%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 29% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+29 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.8% (2015-2019) → 86.6% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Violent crime rateImproving
449 /100k (2020) → 199 /100k (2025)
−56%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Firearm deathsImproving
30.1 /100k (2021) → 13.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−54%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
PharmaciesImproving
1.5 /10k (2020) → 2.2 /10k (2025)
+45%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k

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, Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Pharmacies+45%1.5 /10k → 2.2 /10k
Violent crime−56%449 /100k → 199 /100k
Real income+38%$47,639 → $65,756
Broadband+13 points73.8% → 86.6%
Traffic deaths−14%20.4 /100k → 17.6 /100k

Declined6

Rent / income+4.1 points25.5% → 29.6%
Grocery stores−22%2.4 /10k → 1.9 /10k
Restaurants−7.3%14.0 /10k → 13.0 /10k
Firearm deaths+6.2%12.9 /100k → 13.7 /100k
Price / income+0.5×1.8× → 2.3×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.5 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	56%
Average commute time	21.0 min2015-2019	20.4 min2020-2024	−0.6 min	Within the margin of error	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.4%2015-2019	21.7%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Improved	82%
Broadband subscriptions	73.8%2015-2019	86.6%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	83%
Child poverty rate	22.4%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Improved	78%
Distance to an airport	93 mi2020	93 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.3 /100k2020	8.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−40%	Improved	70%
Effective property tax rate	1.42%2015-2019	1.28%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	54%
Firearm deaths	12.9 /100k2020	13.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.2%	Declined	38%
Grocery stores	2.4 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	8%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+3.8%	Little change	51%
High school diploma or higher	92.3%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	47%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,6392019	$65,7562024	+38%	Improved	84%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4282015-2019	0.4472020-2024	+0.019	Within the margin of error	16%
Median household income	$50,6942015-2019	$62,3822020-2024	+23%	Improved	28%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	7.7 /1k2025	+29%	Improved	26%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+45%	Improved	99%
Poverty rate	14.1%2015-2019	13.1%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Property crime rate	1,768 /100k2020	1,062 /100k2025	−40%	Improved	64%
Public libraries	1.5 /10k2019	1.5 /10k2024	+3.6%	Little change	83%
Rent as share of income	25.5%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Declined	5%
Rent-burdened households	40.8%2015-2019	49.2%2020-2024	+8.4 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Restaurants and bars	14.0 /10k2020	13.0 /10k2025	−7.3%	Declined	19%
Suicide rate	19.0 /100k2020	20.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.8%	Declined	47%
Traffic deaths	20.4 /100k2015-2019	17.6 /100k2020-2024	−14%	Improved	81%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	4.0%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	35%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.9%2015-2019	6.7%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Violent crime rate	449 /100k2020	199 /100k2025	−56%	Improved	96%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area 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, Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area itself moved −1.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

32,893 residents

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

14,323 households (±210)

Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%2,853
$25k–50k21%2,981
$50k–75k19%2,695

Homes

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

Owners and renters

14,323 households (±210)

Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%10,934
Rent24%3,389

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

14,511 workers (±498)

Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%11,873
Carpool8.4%1,213
Public transit0.2%†28

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area.

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.

Fort Madison, IA has 786 employer establishments, 242 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), with 13,101 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,378. The Census Bureau also counts 1,829 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 786; 1,829 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 242; US 248
Paid employees: 13,101
Average annual pay: $52,378; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fort Madison, IA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	55	16.9	1.09×About typical	612	$77,216	148
Ambulatory health care services	52	16	0.77×Fewer than typical	422	$60,981	55
Restaurants and other eating places	52	16	0.87×About typical	808	$16,658	7
Religious organizations	34	10.5	1.89×More than typical	130	$16,146	—
Truck transportation	30	9.2	1.83×More than typical	259	$57,865	60
Construction of buildings	29	8.9	1.18×About typical	159	$56,862	58
Full-service restaurants	27	8.3	1.08×About typical	286	$16,545	3
Banks and credit unions	26	8	2.48×More than typical	211	$55,218	—
Building equipment contractors	24	7.4	1.23×About typical	188	$69,197	21
Gasoline stations	20	6.2	1.90×More than typical	188	$24,676	—
Offices of physicians	20	6.2	0.95×About typical	167	$79,635	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	19	5.8	0.87×About typical	119	$29,546	142

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 32,502 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1M on contracts performed in Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area: $31.19 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1M; −96% vs FY2025
Per resident: $31.19; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$752.1K75%
Federal Aviation Administration$179.1K18%
U.S. Geological Survey$76.5K7.6%

Top recipients

US DIVERSIFIED CONTRACTING SERVICES INC.$618.4K61%
KRISHER ELECTRIC LLC$179.1K18%
J. F. BRENNAN COMPANY, INC.$76.5K7.6%
VETERANS CHOICE SERVICES LLC$74K7.3%
HAMILTON PACIFIC CHAMBERLAIN LLC$62.4K6.2%

Spending by fiscal year

5.6MFY2017
1.1MFY2018
1.7MFY2019
3.1MFY2020
3.9MFY2021
2.8MFY2022
2MFY2023
1.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$859.9K85%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$76.5K7.6%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$73.9K7.3%

Largest awards

LOCK 19 NOSE PIER REPLACEMENT AND BULKHEAD RECESS$22M
J. F. BRENNAN COMPANY, INC.· Lee County, IA· Construction & real property· Sep 17, 2025 – Apr 24, 2026· W912EK25CA021
LOCK 19 ROOF REPLACEMENT AND MASONRY REPAIR$470K
GOINS CONSTRUCTION LLC· Lee County, IA· Construction & real property· Sep 26, 2025 – May 15, 2026· W912EK25CA025
814-MM26-001 REMOVE/REPLACE FLAGPOLE REMOVE PAVERS / REPLACE WITH CONCRETE, ROSTRUM AND STAIRS, AT KEOKUK NATIONAL CEMETERY.$460.3K
US DIVERSIFIED CONTRACTING SERVICES INC.· Lee County, IA· Construction & real property· Mar 31, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026· 36C78626N0264
TASK ORDER FOR GROUND MAINTENANCE SERVICES.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $235.9M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area: $7,302 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $235.9M; −4.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,302; US $12,957
Loan face value: $3.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$150.6M64%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$20.1M8.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$16.2M6.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$14.1M6.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$10.2M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.3M2.7%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$4M1.7%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$3.2M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$8.8M3.7%
AMES, IA
KEOKUK HOUSING AUTHORITY$1.7M0.7%
KEOKUK, IA
CITY OF KEOKUK$893.7K0.4%
KEOKUK, IA
FORT MADISON HOUSING AUTHORITY$772.8K0.3%
FORT MADISON, IA
LYNNER, DARWIN T COMPANY INCORPORATED$412.1K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$191.2M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$18M7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Railroad Retirement Board$10.2M4.3%
Federal Highway Administration$8.8M3.7%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$2.5M

Assistance by fiscal year

216.6MFY2021
214.6MFY2022
219.5MFY2023
239.9MFY2024
247MFY2025
235.9MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Fort Madison, IA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Lee CountyCentral county7332,306

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Fort MadisonPrincipal city10,133

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Areas based in Iowa, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Burlington, IA-IL71

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M22800

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Fort Madison, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Fort Madison, IA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought