The Town Files

Wilton, Iowa

City in Muscatine County · population 2,924 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Map: where Wilton is in IowaWilton
Median home
$189,200
Household income
$76,648
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 84°
Snow a year
29 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
30
Median age
45.2

Wilton is a city of 2,924 people in Muscatine County, Iowa. The median home is worth $189,200, above the typical Iowa town ($156,300). It ranks better for young professionals than 87% of Iowa towns, hipper than 73% of Iowa towns, more of a college town than 70% of Iowa towns.

Wilton in our rankings:

How Wilton 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.

Wilton lifestyle rankings vs other Iowa townsRetirement61st pctFamilies30th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability24th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals87th pctVibrancy66th pctHip & trendy73rd pctCollege town70th pctUpscale62nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving58th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Wilton is worth $189,200, above the typical Iowa town ($156,300). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $76,648, which is more affordable than 35% of Iowa towns. Median rent is $805 a month. 67.3% of households own their home.

Wilton vs Muscatine County vs typical Iowa townWiltonMuscatine CountyTypical Iowa townHome value$189,200$182,100$156,300Household income$76,648$69,396$69,254Monthly rent$805$971$820
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Iowa towns with 500+ people.
HousingWiltonTypical Iowa town
Median home value$189,200$156,300
Median rent$805$820
Median household income$76,648$69,254
Home value ÷ income2.5×2.2×
Homeownership67.3%77.1%
Median year built19731962
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Wilton

PeopleWiltonTypical Iowa town
Median age45.240.2
Age 65 and over19.3%20.0%
Under 1816.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher36.1%21.8%
Below the poverty line8.9%9.3%
Veterans6.1%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home4.6%7.1%
Average commute22.7 min21.6 min
Homes with broadband86.2%88.5%

Weather in Wilton

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 13.9°F. About 38.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 29.4 inches of snow (typical Iowa town: 32.5 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 125 nights at or below freezing.

Wilton monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°14°Jan35°18°Feb48°28°Mar61°39°Apr72°51°May81°61°Jun84°64°Jul83°62°Aug77°54°Sep64°43°Oct49°31°Nov36°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.47.01.68.62.44.03.60.74.95.44.44.03.52.90.32.21.42.07.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Muscatine 2N station (8.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilton since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Iowa town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on June 1, 2007 about 9.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 11 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 14, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Wilton by decade31950s41960s11970s41980s61990s42000s32010s52020s
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 48 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on September 18, 2022.

Severe weather in Muscatine County since 1996

Storm events in Muscatine County since 1996 by typeHail131Flood52Drought15Tornado17Dense Fog11High Wind12Heavy Snow18Flash Flood33
NOAA Storm Events Database, Muscatine County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Muscatine County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 24, 2024Severe StormDR-4784: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 17, 2020Severe StormDR-4557: Severe Storms
March 23, 2020BiologicalDR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3480: Covid-19
March 23, 2019FloodDR-4421: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Muscatine County

Muscatine County had 21,234 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,594 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Wilton itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.

Largest industries in Muscatine CountyManufacturing6,989 jobs · $83,975Retail1,969 jobs · $32,694Health care & social assistan…1,744 jobs · $43,659Administrative & support1,334 jobs · $45,443Hotels & restaurants1,298 jobs · $17,427Transportation & warehousing951 jobs · $62,324
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Muscatine County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Muscatine 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Wilton

2 public schools with 965 students, about 15.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Wilton Elementary SchoolPK-652415.9
Wilton Jr-Sr High School7-1244114.2

Towns near Wilton

Wilton questions

Is Wilton, Iowa a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wilton scores better for retirees than 61% of Iowa towns and quieter than 33%. 19.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.2).

How much does a house cost in Wilton?

The median owner-occupied home in Wilton is valued at $189,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,648, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $805 a month.

What is the weather like in Wilton?

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 13.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.3 inches of precipitation a year and 29.4 inches of snow.

Does Wilton get tornadoes?

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on June 1, 2007. The typical Iowa town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wilton's Census boundary (GEOID 1986070). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.