Ely is a city in Linn County, Iowa, home to about 2,186 people across 1.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52227.
Homes sold for a median of $196 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ely. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ely’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Ely well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)110 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)7 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI137 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL200 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ely; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ely had 2,328 residents in the 2020 census, up 103% since 2000.
It’s the 157th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Linn County grew from 55,392 residents in 1900 to 230,299 in 2020.
Linn County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 11°F. About 36.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cedar Rapids Muni Ap, IA weather station (7 miles away).
119,172 jobs at 5,744 businesses in Linn County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Libraries
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Buying or selling around Ely? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Cedar Rapids.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.