The Town FilesSabula, Iowa
City in Jackson County · population 506 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $133,300
- Household income
- $77,656
- Jan low / Jul high
- 11° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 32 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 50.9
Sabula is a city of 506 people in Jackson County, Iowa. The median home is worth $133,300, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks easier by car than 96% of Iowa towns, more of a college town than 78% of Iowa towns, better for cycling than 77% of Iowa towns.
How Sabula 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 Sabula is worth $133,300, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $77,656, which is more affordable than 88% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $950 a month. 76.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sabula | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $133,300 | $156,300 |
| Median rent | $950 | $820 |
| Median household income | $77,656 | $69,254 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.7× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 76.0% | 77.1% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1962 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.9% | — |
Who lives in Sabula
| People | Sabula | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 27.2% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 19.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.4% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.4% | 9.3% |
| Veterans | 7.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.3% | — |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 21.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.4% | 88.5% |
Weather in Sabula
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 10.9°F. About 40.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 32.3 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 155 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sabula since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 20, 1974 about 7.7 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 33 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 2, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 2, 2026.
Severe weather in Jackson County since 1996
Jackson County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.
| 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 |
| August 25, 2023 | Flood | DR-4732: Flooding |
| August 17, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4557: Severe Storms |
| March 23, 2020 | Biological | DR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Jackson County
Jackson County had 5,869 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,236 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Sabula itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.
Towns near Sabula
- Savanna, IL2.8 mi · 2,783 people · home $72,400
- Thomson, IL7.5 mi · 1,610 people · home $117,000
- Mount Carroll, IL10.7 mi · 1,479 people · home $86,600
- Preston, IA11.1 mi · 949 people · home $163,900
- Hanover, IL13.6 mi · 863 people · home $89,500
- Fulton, IL14.2 mi · 3,647 people · home $121,700
- Clinton, IA16.0 mi · 24,469 people · home $118,200
- Elizabeth, IL17.1 mi · 694 people · home $135,900
Sabula questions
Is Sabula, Iowa a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sabula scores better for retirees than 5% of Iowa towns and quieter than 34%. 27.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.9).
How much does a house cost in Sabula?
The median owner-occupied home in Sabula is valued at $133,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $77,656, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $950 a month.
What is the weather like in Sabula?
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 10.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.3 inches of precipitation a year and 32.3 inches of snow.
Does Sabula get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sabula since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 20, 1974. 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)