The Town Files

Farmington, Iowa

City in Van Buren County · population 579 (2020 Census)

Map: where Farmington is in IowaFarmington
Median home
$81,400
Household income
$53,333
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 86°
Snow a year
27 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
49.0

Farmington is a city of 579 people in Van Buren County, Iowa. The median home is worth $81,400, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 97% of Iowa towns, better for cycling than 92% of Iowa towns, quieter than 83% of Iowa towns.

Farmington in our rankings:

How Farmington ranks

Percentile among Iowa towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Iowa towns.

Farmington lifestyle rankings vs other Iowa townsRetirement46th pctFamilies75th pctQuiet83rd pctWalkability12th pctFirst-time buyers97th pctYoung professionals14th pctVibrancy11th pctHip & trendy78th pctCollege town19th pctUpscale28th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling92nd pctTransit81st pctDriving13th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Farmington is worth $81,400, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $53,333, which is more affordable than 93% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $713 a month. 79.7% of households own their home.

Farmington vs Van Buren County vs typical Iowa townFarmingtonVan Buren CountyTypical Iowa townHome value$81,400$114,600$156,300Household income$53,333$61,161$69,254Monthly rent$713$622$820
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Iowa towns with 500+ people.
HousingFarmingtonTypical Iowa town
Median home value$81,400$156,300
Median rent$713$820
Median household income$53,333$69,254
Home value ÷ income1.5×2.2×
Homeownership79.7%77.1%
Median year built19551962
Seasonal / vacation homes4.1%—

Who lives in Farmington

PeopleFarmingtonTypical Iowa town
Median age49.040.2
Age 65 and over28.5%20.0%
Under 1822.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.4%21.8%
Below the poverty line16.3%9.3%
Veterans13.3%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home5.8%7.1%
Average commute22.6 min21.6 min
Homes with broadband85.2%88.5%

Weather in Farmington

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 15.3°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.6 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 nights at or below freezing.

Farmington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°15°Jan38°19°Feb51°29°Mar63°40°Apr73°52°May83°62°Jun86°65°Jul85°63°Aug79°54°Sep65°43°Oct51°31°Nov38°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.57.31.97.42.63.03.70.75.05.04.23.93.93.10.32.51.52.06.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Donnellson station (9.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Farmington since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on May 27, 2019 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 10, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Farmington by decade01950s21960s01970s31980s01990s12000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 42 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 27, 1965.

Severe weather in Van Buren County since 1996

Storm events in Van Buren County since 1996 by typeHail115Flood17Drought17Tornado14Dense Fog9High Wind8Ice Storm9Heavy Snow13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Van Buren County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Van Buren County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 23, 2022Severe StormDR-4642: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
March 23, 2020BiologicalDR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3480: Covid-19
September 12, 2018Severe StormDR-4392: Severe Storm And Tornadoes
May 31, 2013FloodDR-4119: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Van Buren County

Van Buren County had 1,923 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,260 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Farmington itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.

Largest industries in Van Buren CountyManufacturing501 jobs · $53,137Retail216 jobs · $29,911Wholesale trade104 jobs · $54,694Construction57 jobs · $43,374Transportation & warehousing52 jobs · $73,407Finance & insurance51 jobs · $59,270
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Van Buren County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Van Buren 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Farmington

1 public school with 175 students, about 11.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Van Buren County Community School District Harmony CenterPK-617511.7

Towns near Farmington

Farmington questions

Is Farmington, Iowa a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Farmington scores better for retirees than 46% of Iowa towns and quieter than 83%. 28.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.0).

How much does a house cost in Farmington?

The median owner-occupied home in Farmington is valued at $81,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,333, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is $713 a month.

What is the weather like in Farmington?

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 15.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.2 inches of precipitation a year and 26.6 inches of snow.

Does Farmington get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Farmington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on May 27, 2019. The typical Iowa town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Farmington's Census boundary (GEOID 1926895). Comparisons use the median of Iowa towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.