The Town FilesManilla, Iowa
City in Crawford County · population 775 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $88,300
- Household income
- $65,156
- Jan low / Jul high
- 10° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 33 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 18
- Median age
- 42.8
Manilla is a city of 775 people in Crawford County, Iowa. The median home is worth $88,300, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks better for families than 92% of Iowa towns, more of a college town than 87% of Iowa towns.
How Manilla 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Manilla is worth $88,300, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $65,156, which is more affordable than 95% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $675 a month. 86.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Manilla | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $88,300 | $156,300 |
| Median rent | $675 | $820 |
| Median household income | $65,156 | $69,254 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 86.8% | 77.1% |
| Median year built | 1942 | 1962 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Manilla
| People | Manilla | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.2% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 21.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.2% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 9.3% |
| Veterans | 13.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.7% | — |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 7.1% |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 21.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.1% | 88.5% |
Weather in Manilla
July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 9.8°F. About 33.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.4 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 149 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Manilla since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on April 26, 2024 about 5.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on October 14, 1966.
Severe weather in Crawford County since 1996
Crawford County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Winter Storm | DR-4870: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 14, 2024 | Tornado | DR-4779: Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| March 23, 2020 | Biological | DR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3480: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2019 | Flood | DR-4421: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Crawford County
Crawford County had 6,524 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,067 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Manilla itself the ACS puts it at 0.3%.
Towns near Manilla
- Manning, IA8.8 mi · 1,455 people · home $120,500
- Denison, IA10.5 mi · 8,373 people · home $150,200
- Arcadia, IA16.6 mi · 525 people · home $141,100
- Harlan, IA17.5 mi · 4,893 people · home $152,500
- Dunlap, IA19.1 mi · 1,038 people · home $139,900
- Audubon, IA19.9 mi · 2,053 people · home $97,700
- Schleswig, IA21.2 mi · 830 people · home $163,600
- Charter Oak, IA21.9 mi · 535 people · home $77,700
Manilla questions
Is Manilla, Iowa a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Manilla scores better for retirees than 30% of Iowa towns and quieter than 43%. 22.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.8).
How much does a house cost in Manilla?
The median owner-occupied home in Manilla is valued at $88,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,156, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $675 a month.
What is the weather like in Manilla?
July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 9.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.6 inches of precipitation a year and 33.4 inches of snow.
Does Manilla get tornadoes?
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Manilla since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on April 26, 2024. The typical Iowa town has had 24.
- 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)