The Town FilesWhat Cheer, Iowa
City in Keokuk County · population 607 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $49,200
- Household income
- $48,182
- Jan low / Jul high
- 12° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 24
- Median age
- 44.0
What Cheer is a city of 607 people in Keokuk County, Iowa. The median home is worth $49,200, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300).
How What Cheer 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 What Cheer is worth $49,200, below the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 1.0 times the median household income of $48,182, which is more affordable than 99% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $744 a month. 72.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | What Cheer | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $49,200 | $156,300 |
| Median rent | $744 | $820 |
| Median household income | $48,182 | $69,254 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.0× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 72.5% | 77.1% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1962 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in What Cheer
| People | What Cheer | Typical Iowa town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.8% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 21.2% | 9.3% |
| Veterans | 5.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.1% | 7.1% |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 21.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 79.0% | 88.5% |
Weather in What Cheer
July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 11.5°F. About 37.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.1 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of What Cheer since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 7, 1984 about 4.0 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 67 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 24, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 7, 2023.
Severe weather in Keokuk County since 1996
Keokuk County has been included in 19 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 |
| August 5, 2014 | Severe Storm | DR-4187: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 2, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4126: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Keokuk County
Keokuk County had 2,292 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,453 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in What Cheer itself the ACS puts it at 8.2%.
Towns near What Cheer
- Sigourney, IA9.1 mi · 2,004 people · home $136,800
- Fremont, IA13.6 mi · 708 people · home $104,900
- Montezuma, IA15.4 mi · 1,442 people · home $179,400
- New Sharon, IA16.0 mi · 1,262 people · home $133,600
- Hedrick, IA16.0 mi · 728 people · home $79,600
- Oskaloosa, IA16.5 mi · 11,558 people · home $153,300
- North English, IA16.6 mi · 1,065 people · home $118,600
- Keota, IA21.1 mi · 897 people · home $106,600
What Cheer questions
Is What Cheer, Iowa a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, What Cheer scores better for retirees than 24% of Iowa towns and quieter than 62%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.0).
How much does a house cost in What Cheer?
The median owner-occupied home in What Cheer is valued at $49,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,182, so homes cost about 1.0 times income. Median rent is $744 a month.
What is the weather like in What Cheer?
July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 11.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.4 inches of precipitation a year and 28.1 inches of snow.
Does What Cheer get tornadoes?
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of What Cheer since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 7, 1984. 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)