Wapello is a city in Louisa County, Iowa, home to about 1,765 people across 1.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52653.
Homes sold for a median of $185 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wapello. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)131 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL)29 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI158 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL185 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Wapello; 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.
Wapello had 2,084 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 187th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Louisa County grew from 13,516 residents in 1900 to 10,837 in 2020.
Louisa County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 36.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New Boston Dam 17, IL weather station (6 miles away).
3,089 jobs at 211 businesses in Louisa County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
11 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Wapello.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 2 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
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.
Public schools here are run by Wapello Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wapello Elementary SchoolWapello | Pre-K–5 | 229 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Wapello Junior High SchoolWapello | 6–8 | 102 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Wapello Senior High SchoolWapello | 9–12 | 187 | Public | 2.1 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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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.