Scores by category

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

Safety97#29/924
Economy97#28/925
Housing99#12/925
Health92#72/925
Healthcare73#251/923
Environment79#189/917
Education61#360/925
Infrastructure80#187/925
Community96#38/925
Leisure & amenities77#218/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Rent as share of income · low18.4%
100/100Iowa 27.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Severe housing problems · low7.8%
100/100Iowa 11.4%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low30.6%
99/100Iowa 43.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Poverty rate · low6.9%
99/100Iowa 11.2%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Property crime rate · low319 /100k
98/100Iowa 1,172 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low59 /100k
97/100Iowa 76 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
1/100Iowa 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.3 /1k
12/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-2.1%
14/100Iowa -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Distance to an Amtrak station · high105 mi
15/100Iowa 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high21.0 /100k
22/100Iowa 11.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.9%
25/100Iowa 24.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
75% (2021) → 43% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−32 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
PharmaciesImproving
1.2 /10k (2020) → 1.9 /10k (2025)
+67%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Traffic deathsWorsening
12.8 /100k (2015-2019) → 21.0 /100k (2020-2024)
+65%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
692 /100k (2020) → 319 /100k (2025)
−54%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Preventable hospital staysImproving
3,063 /100k (2019) → 1,468 /100k (2023)
−52%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k
New homes permittedImproving
1.7 /1k (2021) → 2.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+51%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

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, Le Mars, IA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 0 moved within the margin of error and 2 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 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Pharmacies+67%1.2 /10k → 1.9 /10k
Homicides−100%2.8 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Suicides−35%22.0 /100k → 14.4 /100k
Grocery stores+20%1.9 /10k → 2.3 /10k
Property crime−54%692 /100k → 319 /100k

Declined7

Bachelor's+−1.5 points23.2% → 21.7%
Traffic deaths+65%12.8 /100k → 21.0 /100k
Overdose deaths+26%6.9 /100k → 8.7 /100k
Gyms−33%1.2 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Arts & recreation−6.3%6.2 /10k → 5.8 /10k

All 22 measures

Change of every measure of Le Mars, IA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.2 /10k2020	5.8 /10k2025	−6.3%	Declined	19%
Average commute time	18.2 min2015-2019	19.2 min2020-2024	+1.0 min	Declined	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.2%2015-2019	21.7%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Declined	3%
Broadband subscriptions	84.3%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Improved	12%
Distance to an airport	64 mi2020	64 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	6.9 /100k2020	8.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+26%	Declined	15%
Firearm deaths	11.0 /100k2020	9.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−16%	Improved	77%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	89%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	9%
High school diploma or higher	93.1%2015-2019	94.8%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Improved	51%
Homicide rate	2.8 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$60,6532019	$83,1232024	+37%	Improved	81%
New business applications	5.8 /1k2020	8.3 /1k2025	+43%	Improved	45%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+67%	Improved	100%
Property crime rate	692 /100k2020	319 /100k2025	−54%	Improved	90%
Public libraries	2.0 /10k2019	1.9 /10k2024	−1.9%	Little change	48%
Rent-burdened households	26.9%2015-2019	30.6%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Declined	27%
Restaurants and bars	8.6 /10k2020	9.3 /10k2025	+9.1%	Improved	77%
Suicide rate	22.0 /100k2020	14.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−35%	Improved	95%
Traffic deaths	12.8 /100k2015-2019	21.0 /100k2020-2024	+65%	Declined	3%
Unemployment rate	3.7%2020	2.6%2025	−1.1 points	Improved	6%
Violent crime rate	143 /100k2020	89 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	85%

“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 Le Mars, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Le Mars, 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, Le Mars, IA micropolitan area itself moved +1.9 points in standing on average over the same 22 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

25,747 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

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

Household income

10,313 households (±187)

Le Mars, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k12%1,208
$25k–50k15%1,524
$50k–75k18%1,839
$75k–100k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

10,313 households (±187)

Le Mars, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%7,591
Rent26%2,722

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

13,375 workers (±396)

Le Mars, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%10,574
Carpool9.2%1,225
Public transit0.6%†74

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 Le Mars, 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.

Le Mars, IA has 667 employer establishments, 259 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248), with 10,405 paid employees at an average annual pay of $68,713. The Census Bureau also counts 1,915 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 667; 1,915 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 259; US 248
Paid employees: 10,405
Average annual pay: $68,713; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	65	25.3	5.00×More than typical	1,163	$64,980	100
Specialty trade contractors	50	19.4	1.26×More than typical	230	$64,322	164
Restaurants and other eating places	37	14.4	0.78×Fewer than typical	666	$13,878	8
Construction of buildings	34	13.2	1.75×More than typical	83	$51,313	83
Ambulatory health care services	32	12.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	174	$52,167	56
Religious organizations	29	11.3	2.03×More than typical	104	$13,625	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	24	9.3	1.85×More than typical	200	$64,965	46
Building equipment contractors	23	8.9	1.49×More than typical	108	$54,981	27
Offices of other health practitioners	20	7.8	1.28×More than typical	64	$43,875	19
Services to buildings and dwellings	20	7.8	1.15×About typical	61	$53,590	112
Lessors of real estate	19	7.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	32	$36,000	225
Insurance agencies and brokerages	18	7	1.59×More than typical	55	$63,600	47

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,723 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 -$1.7M on contracts performed in Le Mars, IA micropolitan area: -$67.77 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$1.7M; −103% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$67.77; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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 Energy$203.6K0.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$198K0.0%
Environmental Protection Agency$24.5K0.0%
Department of the Army$4,6720.0%

Top recipients

R & R INDUSTRIES LTD INC$198K0.0%
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WEST, L.P.$191.1K0.0%
CH2M HILL, INC$24.5K0.0%
ECOLOGY MIR GROUP LLC$12.5K0.0%
GUS PECH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INCORPORATED$4,6720.0%

Spending by fiscal year

3.5MFY2017
702.8KFY2018
290.2KFY2019
428.1KFY2020
1.5MFY2021
3.1MFY2022
3MFY2023
5.1MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for crop production · 1151$191.1K0.0%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$128.1K0.0%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$69.9K0.0%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$24.5K0.0%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$12.5K0.0%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance · 8113

Largest awards

LOGISTICS HOUSING OPERATIONS UNIT INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND DEACTIVATION - LOGHOUSE HAULING AND INSTALLING (H&I) AND MAINTENANCE AND DEACTIVATION (M&D) SERVICES UP TO 200 UNITS, CONSTRUCTION IN SUPPORT OF DR-4796-IA IN IOWA$54.3M
MLU SERVICES, LLC· Plymouth County, IA· Equipment maintenance· Aug 15, 2024 – Jul 7, 2026· 70FBR724F00000018
R7 DES: HIGHWAY 3 PCE OPERABLE UNIT 1 (OU1) REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION / FEASIBILITY STUDY (RI/FS) TECHNICAL SUPPORT$2.5M
CH2M HILL, INC· Plymouth County, IA· Facilities & utilities· May 30, 2023 – Sep 10, 2026· 68HE0723F0080
DRILL RIG REPAIRS$234.9K
GUS PECH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INCORPORATED· Plymouth County, IA· Equipment maintenance· Nov 4, 2024 – Feb 9, 2026· W9128F25F0009

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 $174.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Le Mars, IA micropolitan area: $6,780 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $174.2M; −14% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,780; US $12,955
Loan face value: $9.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 13%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$113.7M65%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$11.2M6.4%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$10.9M6.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$9.1M5.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$8.5M4.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$8.5M4.9%
15.957 · Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund$1.9M1.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$1.9M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$4.1M2.4%
AMES, IA
SIOUXLAND HISTORICAL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION$1.9M1.1%
SIOUX CITY, IA
CITY OF LE MARS$738.1K0.4%
SPENCER, IA
JC FISCHER ENTERPRISES LLC$300K0.2%
HINTON, IA
HIGHLAND ESTATES, NO. 1, L.P.$191.4K

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$133.1M76%
Farm Service Agency$21.7M12%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$10M5.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$4.1M2.4%
Department of Transportation
National Park Service$1.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

142.6MFY2021
132.9MFY2022
158.7MFY2023
146.8MFY2024
202.2MFY2025
174.2MFY2026

County aggregates

82%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Le Mars, 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.

Plymouth CountyCentral county10025,697

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Le MarsPrincipal city10,640

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.

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD81

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M30180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Le Mars, 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 Le Mars, 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

Declined7

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