Lakeside, Iowa

City in Buena Vista County · population 700 (2020 Census)

Median home: $246,400
Household income: $106,250
Jan low / Jul high: 9° / 82°
Snow a year: 35 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 21
Median age: 40.5

Lakeside is a city of 700 people in Buena Vista County, Iowa. The median home is worth $246,400, above the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks better transit than 98% of Iowa towns, more vibrant than 90% of Iowa towns, better for cycling than 90% of Iowa towns.

How Lakeside 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lakeside is worth $246,400, above the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $106,250, which is more affordable than 48% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $1,206 a month. 81.0% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Iowa towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Lakeside	Typical Iowa town
Median home value	$246,400	$156,300
Median rent	$1,206	$820
Median household income	$106,250	$69,254
Home value ÷ income	2.3×	2.2×
Homeownership	81.0%	77.1%
Median year built	1975	1962
Seasonal / vacation homes	14.9%	—

Who lives in Lakeside

People	Lakeside	Typical Iowa town
Median age	40.5	40.2
Age 65 and over	17.4%	20.0%
Under 18	24.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.2%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	2.7%	9.3%
Veterans	2.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	20.6%	—
Work from home	4.1%	7.1%
Average commute	13.4 min	21.6 min
Homes with broadband	93.2%	88.5%

Weather in Lakeside

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 8.8°F. About 33.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 35.0 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 151 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Storm Lake station (2.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lakeside since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on April 9, 2011 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 17, 2026.

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 48 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 9, 2011.

Severe weather in Buena Vista County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Buena Vista County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Buena Vista County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 24, 2024	Severe Storm	DR-4796: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
May 24, 2024	Severe Storm	DR-4784: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
February 23, 2022	Severe Storm	DR-4642: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
March 23, 2020	Biological	DR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3480: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Buena Vista County

Buena Vista County had 10,683 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,893 a year. Unemployment was 2.4% in 2023; in Lakeside itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Lakeside

Storm Lake, IA
2.0 mi · 11,269 people · home $172,200
Alta, IA
7.5 mi · 2,087 people · home $146,600
Newell, IA
8.8 mi · 906 people · home $122,600
Schaller, IA
10.3 mi · 729 people · home $71,500
Early, IA
10.9 mi · 587 people · home $90,300
Aurelia, IA
14.7 mi · 968 people · home $139,900
Albert City, IA
16.2 mi · 677 people · home $96,500
Sac City, IA
16.3 mi · 2,063 people · home $136,000

Lakeside questions

Is Lakeside, Iowa a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lakeside scores better for retirees than 7% of Iowa towns and quieter than 12%. 17.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.5).

How much does a house cost in Lakeside?

The median owner-occupied home in Lakeside is valued at $246,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $106,250, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $1,206 a month.

What is the weather like in Lakeside?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 8.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.8 inches of precipitation a year and 35.0 inches of snow.

Does Lakeside get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lakeside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on April 9, 2011. The typical Iowa town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lakeside's Census boundary (GEOID 1942645). 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.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.