Wayland, Iowa

City in Henry County · population 964 (2020 Census)

Median home: $135,500
Household income: $70,774
Jan low / Jul high: 12° / 85°
Snow a year: 34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 15
Median age: 42.2

Wayland is a city of 964 people in Henry County, Iowa. The median home is worth $135,500, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks better for retirees than 95% of Iowa towns, better for cycling than 95% of Iowa towns, hipper than 78% of Iowa towns.

Wayland in our rankings:

How Wayland 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 Wayland is worth $135,500, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $70,774, which is more affordable than 76% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $814 a month. 79.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Wayland	Typical Iowa town
Median home value	$135,500	$156,300
Median rent	$814	$820
Median household income	$70,774	$69,254
Home value ÷ income	1.9×	2.2×
Homeownership	79.8%	77.1%
Median year built	1961	1962
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Wayland

People	Wayland	Typical Iowa town
Median age	42.2	40.2
Age 65 and over	18.5%	20.0%
Under 18	22.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.4%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	9.0%	9.3%
Veterans	8.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.3%	—
Work from home	1.9%	7.1%
Average commute	26.8 min	21.6 min
Homes with broadband	89.2%	88.5%

Weather in Wayland

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 11.5°F. About 37.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.1 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 140 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 Washington station (9.6 mi away); snow from Brighton (8.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayland since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 15, 1998 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 25, 2018.

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 35 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 14, 2026.

Severe weather in Henry County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Henry County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

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

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
July 2, 2013	Severe Storm	DR-4126: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 29, 2010	Severe Storm	DR-1930: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes

Jobs and pay in Henry County

Henry County had 8,137 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,431 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Wayland itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

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 Wayland

1 public school with 244 students, about 12.2 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
WACO High School	7-12	244	12.2

Towns near Wayland

Brighton, IA
8.7 mi · 600 people · home $92,900
Washington, IA
10.5 mi · 7,352 people · home $152,300
Ainsworth, IA
11.2 mi · 511 people · home $118,400
Winfield, IA
11.5 mi · 1,033 people · home $100,000
Mount Pleasant, IA
14.1 mi · 9,274 people · home $160,900
Richland, IA
17.7 mi · 542 people · home $135,700
Columbus Junction, IA
17.7 mi · 1,830 people · home $125,800
Fairfield, IA
18.9 mi · 9,416 people · home $156,000

Wayland questions

Is Wayland, Iowa a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wayland scores better for retirees than 95% of Iowa towns and quieter than 70%. 18.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.2).

How much does a house cost in Wayland?

The median owner-occupied home in Wayland is valued at $135,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,774, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $814 a month.

What is the weather like in Wayland?

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 11.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.9 inches of precipitation a year and 34.1 inches of snow.

Does Wayland get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 15, 1998. The typical Iowa town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wayland's Census boundary (GEOID 1982965). 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.