Carroll

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Carroll, IA

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A small town with a large presence

Affordable • Family-Friendly • Suburban • Parks •

Situated in western Iowa, Carroll is considered a big city, surrounded by charming small towns. Restaurants, retailers, and supermarkets reside along Lincoln Avenue, and there’s everything from wineries and pizzerias to coffee houses and brewing companies. There are quite a few city parks in Carroll, including Graham Park and Minchen Park, not to mention the Carroll Municipal Golf Course!

Major cities like Des Moines and Omaha, Nebraska are about a 90 minute commute from Carroll, so this city offers a secluded feel from metropolitan living. However, there’s plenty to do in the city itself. Private and public schools area available in the area, and the sprawling Swan Lake State Park sits directly below Carroll!

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Carroll, IA is 7.7% lower than the national average. Generally, housing in Carroll is 29.6% less expensive than the national average, with rent falling between $0 - $0. You can expect to pay 4.1% more for groceries, 6.6% less for utilities, and 7.5% more for transportation.

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Transportation

50

Somewhat Walkable

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

You might be able to get out and walk when living in this area. Some errands can be accomplished on foot, but for others you’ll need a car.

50

Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

While there’s some bike infrastructure in this area, you’ll still need a car for many errands.

Schools

Carroll Middle School

Public

Grades 5-8

489 Students

4
out of 10

Adams Elementary School

Public

Grades 3-4

220 Students

4
out of 10

Fairview Elementary School

Public

Grades PK-2

469 Students

Rating Unavailable

Carroll Middle School

Public

Grades 5-8

489 Students

4
out of 10

Carroll High School

Public

Grades 9-12

544 Students

5
out of 10
School data provided by GreatSchools    The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.

Points of Interest

Shopping Centers

Military Bases

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.