Iowa Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Emmetsburg, Iowa

Population: 3,958

Located in Palo Alto County

Emmetsburg is an active community located in the northwest corner of Iowa near beautiful Five Island Lake. It’s a wonderful place to live and a great place to visit!

Because agriculture drives our economy, we have enjoyed some insulation from the current national downturn. Our home values never spiked in value and have therefore not suffered a precipitous fall in value many communities have experienced. We take pride in our relaxed atmosphere and family oriented lifestyle—in being a small town with a big heart. It is small enough so you can know your neighbors, but large enough to offer almost everything you want.

We offer a variety of home styles and prices in our community. Our housing is extremely affordable when compared to national averages. There isn't much need for a car in town, as things are very reachable on foot or by bike. In fact, Walk Score rates Emmetsburg as "very walkable." And we are starting a community garden project this year that we are very excited about.

Emmetsburg is well-known for its excellent school system and athletic teams. We have everything from preschool to college right here, including a parochial K-8 school. Iowa Lakes Community College's Emmetsburg Campus offers tremendous opportunities through its varied programs, and we have many adult learners in our community. Many of our high school students get a head start on college by taking dual credit classes at Iowa Lakes. The Smith Wellness Center attracts people from around the area with its excellent facilities and programming.

The environment is an important concern for people who live off the land—or who live on a lake. We treasure our beautiful 1,000 acre lake and 12 miles of lakeshore property. We have engaged in an aggressive lake cleanup dredging, and we work hard to keep our watershed to the lake clean. Our local ethanol plant has been recognized nationally as a leader in using safe environmental practices.

Many activities are offered for residents and guests, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an affordable 9-hole golf course, tennis and basketball courts, wrestling facility, parks, boating, skiing, and fishing, numerous organized activities for youth and adults through the City Recreation Program and the Wellness Center Program. Five Island Lake is the center of recreational activities year round. One of our newer attractions is the Wild Rose Casino and Resort, which opened in July 2006.

Our community is very safe. Most people don't lock their houses or cars. We take the time to be aware of each other as neighbors, and we know when strangers are in the neighborhood, when someone has left their lights off or their water on, when mail piles up, and so on. We look out for each other. And we have great professionals and volunteers on our police, fire and medical services who are also our neighbors and friends. Crime has always been very low in our community. Medical services include an expanded hospital, medical clinic, and related facilities, with skilled care for the elderly and disabled.

We are progressive thinkers with a strong can-do attitude. Come visit us…we think you’ll want to stay!