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Palo Alto County

Iowa · Public K-12

10 public schools serving approximately 1,536 students, in a county of 8,863 residents.

Schools
10
4 districts
Enrollment
1,536
NCES CCD
Median income
$72,781
Above Iowa avg
Free/reduced lunch
45.0%
Above Iowa avg
Elementary
3
schools
Middle
3
schools
High
4
schools
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Emmetsburg Comm School District
770 students · 4 districts in Palo Alto County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Palo Alto County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".

County residents
White
92%
Hispanic
4%
Black
2%
Asian
1%
Two or more
5%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
90%
Hispanic
n/r
Black
1%
Asian
1%
Two or more
2%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
Bachelor's+
19.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
9.3%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
2.2%
civilian labor
Median age
42
23.1% under 18

All schools (10)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
West Elementary SchoolEmmetsburgElementaryPK-04300·
Emmetsburg High SchoolEmmetsburgHigh09-12245·
Emmetsburg Middle SchoolEmmetsburgMiddle05-08225·
West Bend-Mallard Elementary SchoolWest BendElementaryPK-04170·
Graettinger-Terril High SchoolGraettingerHigh09-12128·
West Bend-Mallard High SchoolWest BendHigh09-12114·
West Bend-Mallard Middle SchoolWest BendMiddle05-08111·
Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary SchoolRuthvenElementaryPK-0687·
Graettinger-Terril Middle SchoolGraettingerMiddle06-0879·
Ruthven-Ayrshire High SchoolRuthvenHigh07-1277·

Frequently asked

How many public schools are in Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County, Iowa has 10 public K-12 schools serving approximately 1,536 students.
How many high schools are in Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County, Iowa has 4 public high schools, along with 3 middle schools and 3 elementary schools.
What is the largest school district in Palo Alto County?
Emmetsburg Comm School District is the largest school district in Palo Alto County, serving approximately 770 students. The county contains 4 school districts overall.
How many people live in Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County has roughly 8,863 residents according to the latest Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What is the median household income in Palo Alto County?
Median household income in Palo Alto County is $72,781, above the Iowa average of $71,592. About 9.3% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Palo Alto County?
Approximately 19.0% of adults 25 and older in Palo Alto County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Palo Alto County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 45.0% of students in Palo Alto County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is higher than the Iowa county average of 42.4%.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Palo Alto County schools?
Across Palo Alto County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 14.5 to 1.
What is the racial makeup of Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County residents are approximately 92% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Asian, 5% two or more races according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of housing in Palo Alto County is owner-occupied?
Palo Alto County has about 4,535 housing units, of which roughly 77.1% are owner-occupied.
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data