City · Iowa
Fenton, Iowa
Fenton, city, in Kossuth County, Iowa. Fenton had 250 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 6.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 271 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 290 (±74). GEOID 1927210.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
250
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 271 · ACS 2020-2024: 290 ±74
Median household income
$55,417
±$9,398 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$55,000
±$8,812 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$760
±$58 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Fenton and what county is it in?
Fenton is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 821 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fenton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 250 people lived in Fenton on July 1, 2025, down 6.7% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 271 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 290 (±74).
| Measure | Fenton | Kossuth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 290 ±74 | 14,516 | no clear change |
| Households | 144 ±34 | 6,543 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.01 ±0.29 | 2.17 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 177 ±36 | 7,205 | no clear change |
Fenton's population since 2000
From 317 in 2000 to 250 in 2025: down 21.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fenton as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Fenton?
The median resident of Fenton is 49.0 years old; 17.9% are under 18 and 32.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 4.5%.
| Measure | Fenton | Kossuth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.0 ±12.0 | 44.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.9% ±7.5 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 32.4% ±8.7 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Male | 45.5% ±6.5 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% ±1.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.1% ±4.8 pts | 91.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±4.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.0% ±5.3 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 15.2% ±5.3 pts | 13.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.4% ±3.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.5% ±5.3 pts | 95.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.7% ±8.2 pts | 22.8% | +12.3 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.1% ±3.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.4% ±6.2 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±3.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Fenton earn?
Half of Fenton's 144 households earn less than $55,417 a year (±$9,398), against $67,697 in Kossuth County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $57,227 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Fenton | Kossuth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,417 ±$9,398 | $67,697 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,353 ±$11,393 | $86,441 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,556 ±$5,682 | $38,458 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.6% ±7.2 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±35.8 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.3% ±7.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.2% ±3.9 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.4% ±5.2 pts | 87.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Fenton?
Owners occupy 91.0% of Fenton's occupied homes and renters 9.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $55,000 by its owner (±$8,812). The median renter pays $760 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Fenton | Kossuth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $55,000 ±$8,812 | $148,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $760 ±$58 | $859 | +$190 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.3% ±48.3 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $719 ±$83 | $1,248 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.0% ±6.4 pts | 78.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 9.0% ±6.4 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Housing units | 177 ±36 | 7,205 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±72.1 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.9% ±3.1 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 41.2% ±10.7 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.4% ±8.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Fenton building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Fenton in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Fenton work and get to work?
89.6% of Fenton's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.6 minutes.
| Measure | Fenton | Kossuth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.9% ±8.2 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.9% ±10.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.6% ±6.6 pts | 79.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2% ±4.9 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±16.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.0% ±4.9 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.6 min ±7.1 | 16.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Fenton?
No census tract lies mostly in Fenton; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9503Kossuth County | 2,125 | $65,195 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Fenton) · Census block assignment files
How does Fenton compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fenton is the 15,783rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 607th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Fenton is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 607th | 939 |
Fenton's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Fenton with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Fenton?
27 of the 57 figures for Fenton on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Fenton are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Fenton.