Monona, Iowa

City in Clayton County · population 1,471 (2020 Census)

Median home: $140,800
Household income: $74,286
Jan low / Jul high: 7° / 83°
Snow a year: 40 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 42.8

Monona is a city of 1,471 people in Clayton County, Iowa. The median home is worth $140,800, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300).

Monona in our rankings:

#2 in 25 Small Towns in Iowa With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950

How Monona 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 Monona is worth $140,800, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $74,286, which is more affordable than 76% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $1,070 a month. 74.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Monona	Typical Iowa town
Median home value	$140,800	$156,300
Median rent	$1,070	$820
Median household income	$74,286	$69,254
Home value ÷ income	1.9×	2.2×
Homeownership	74.2%	77.1%
Median year built	1938	1962
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Monona

People	Monona	Typical Iowa town
Median age	42.8	40.2
Age 65 and over	24.7%	20.0%
Under 18	24.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.6%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	7.3%	9.3%
Veterans	6.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.3%	—
Work from home	8.7%	7.1%
Average commute	27.7 min	21.6 min
Homes with broadband	81.2%	88.5%

Weather in Monona

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 7.4°F. About 38.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.8 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 161 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 Postville station (8.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Monona since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 30, 1954 about 7.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 2 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 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 20 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 14, 2026.

Severe weather in Clayton County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Clayton County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Clayton County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
August 25, 2023	Flood	DR-4732: Flooding
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
August 27, 2017	Severe Storm	DR-4334: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Clayton County

Clayton County had 6,230 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,349 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Monona itself the ACS puts it at 0.9%.

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).

Public schools in Monona

2 public schools with 590 students, about 15.1 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
MFL MarMac Elementary School	PK-3	319	14.5
MFL MarMac High School	9-12	271	15.9

Towns near Monona

Postville, IA
9.2 mi · 2,503 people · home $104,700
McGregor, IA
10.5 mi · 742 people · home $161,100
Prairie du Chien, WI
12.9 mi · 5,506 people · home $161,300
Elkader, IA
13.3 mi · 1,209 people · home $143,200
Clermont, IA
13.6 mi · 586 people · home $117,200
Elgin, IA
14.0 mi · 685 people · home $98,800
Garnavillo, IA
14.9 mi · 763 people · home $123,100
Prairie du Chien, WI
15.3 mi · 957 people · home $170,100

Monona questions

Is Monona, Iowa a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Monona scores better for retirees than 66% of Iowa towns and quieter than 46%. 24.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.8).

How much does a house cost in Monona?

The median owner-occupied home in Monona is valued at $140,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,286, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $1,070 a month.

What is the weather like in Monona?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 7.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.9 inches of precipitation a year and 39.8 inches of snow.

Does Monona get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Monona since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 30, 1954. The typical Iowa town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Monona's Census boundary (GEOID 1953310). 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.