Town guide

Riceville, Iowa

Riceville is a city in Howard County, Iowa, home to about 823 people across 1.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50466.

Population823776 per sq mi
Median home value$112,100Census, as estimated by owners

ZIP codes in Riceville

1 ZIP code

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Around Riceville

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)109 miles away
Closer regional airportRochester International Airport (RST)37 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+St. Paul, MN112 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL269 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Riceville; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Riceville

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Riceville had 806 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.

It’s the 340th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Howard County grew from 14,512 residents in 1900 to 9,469 in 2020.

Riceville population by census2000: 840, 2010: 785, 2020: 806840200078520108062020

Howard County, 1900–2020

Howard County population, 1900 to 20201900: 14,512, 1910: 12,920, 1920: 13,705, 1930: 13,082, 1940: 13,531, 1950: 13,105, 1960: 12,734, 1970: 11,442, 1980: 11,114, 1990: 9,809, 2000: 9,932, 2010: 9,566, 2020: 9,46915K’00’1014K’20’3014K’40’5013K’60’7011K’80’9010K’00’109K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 37.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near RicevilleJan: high 23°F, low 6°F, 1.2 in; Feb: high 28°F, low 10°F, 1.3 in; Mar: high 41°F, low 23°F, 1.9 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 35°F, 4 in; May: high 68°F, low 47°F, 5.2 in; Jun: high 78°F, low 58°F, 5.6 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 62°F, 5 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 59°F, 4 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 50°F, 3.5 in; Oct: high 60°F, low 38°F, 2.7 in; Nov: high 43°F, low 25°F, 1.8 in; Dec: high 29°F, low 14°F, 1.5 in23°6°Jan1.228°10°Feb1.341°23°Mar1.956°35°Apr4.068°47°May5.278°58°Jun5.681°62°Jul5.079°59°Aug4.073°50°Sep3.560°38°Oct2.743°25°Nov1.829°14°Dec1.5Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Osage, IA weather station (14 miles away).

Jobs in Howard County

3,350 jobs at 270 businesses in Howard County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Howard CountyManufacturing: 1,335 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 622 jobs; Retail trade: 460 jobs; Wholesale trade: 156 jobs; Other services: 146 jobs; Construction: 141 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 131 jobs; Finance and insurance: 108 jobsManufacturing 40% Health care and social assistance 19% Retail trade 14% Wholesale trade 5% Other services 4% Construction 4% Hotels and restaurants 4% Finance and insurance 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Riceville.

Nearest hospitals

  • Mitchell County Regional HealthCritical access hospital · no emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Osage14.0 miles
  • Regional Health Services of Howard CountyCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Cresco22.0 miles
  • Floyd County Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Charles City23.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Dentists1
Pharmacies1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Riceville

Parks (1 nearby)

  • Lake Hendricks Park · 249 acres0.5 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Riceville Library0.7 mi

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.

Schools in Riceville

Public schools here are run by Riceville Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Riceville Elementary SchoolRicevillePre-K–5226Public1.2 mi
Riceville High SchoolRiceville6–12205Public1.2 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Riceville is

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Towns near Riceville

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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.