Palo Alto County, Iowa
14 public bodies govern here, 4 school districts are based here, and USDA lists 0 farmers markets. Everything below says where it came from.
In four numbers
- People
- 8,863
- Median household income
- $72,781
- ±7,482
- Unemployed
- 2.2%
- 105 of 4,763 in the labour force
- Homes with broadband
- 89.8%
- 3,397 of 3,782 households
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020-2024; read 2026-09-26. Percentages worked out here from the two counts shown.
Who governs here
County government 1
| Name | People | Office | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| County of Palo Alto | 8,906 (2021) | 1010 Broadway St, Emmetsburg | — |
Cities, towns and villages 9
| Name | People | Office | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Ayrshire | 129 (2021) | 1502 Silver Lake Ave Po Box B55, Ayrshire | — |
| City of Curlew | 38 (2021) | Po Box25, Curlew | — |
| City of Cylinder | 87 (2021) | Po Box 120, Cylinder | — |
| City of Emmetsburg | 3,631 (2021) | Po Box 417, Emmetsburg | Website |
| City of Graettinger | 834 (2021) | Po Box 418, Graettinger | Website |
| City of Mallard | 265 (2021) | Po Box 305, Mallard | — |
| City of Rodman | 30 (2021) | 209 Rodman Ave, West Bend | — |
| City of Ruthven | 714 (2021) | Po Box 160, Ruthven | Website |
| City of West Bend | 778 (2021) | Po Box 348, West Bend | — |
Special districts 4
| Name | What it does | Office | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graettinger Fire District | Local fire protection | 104 N Washington Ave, Graettinger | — |
| Palo Alto County E911 Service Board | Other single function districts | 1907 11th St, Emmetsburg | Website |
| Lost Island Sanitary District | Sewerage | Po Box 241, Ruthven | Website |
| Palo Alto County Soil and Water Conservation District | Soil and water conservation | 3302 Main St, Emmetsburg | — |
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Government Units List (published August 2023); the file read 2026-09-26. Offices are placed by county; a special district’s territory can cross county lines. Each body posts its own meetings on its website where the Census records one.
School districts based here
Emmetsburg Comm School District
School district3 schools
205 King Street, Emmetsburg, IA, 50536
Its website — where its board posts meetings. Federal record.
Graettinger-Terril Comm School District
School district3 schools
205 S Lincoln Ave, Graettinger, IA, 51342
Its website — where its board posts meetings. Federal record.
Ruthven-Ayrshire Comm School District
School district2 schools
1505 Washington St, Ruthven, IA, 51358
Its website — where its board posts meetings. Federal record.
West Bend-Mallard Comm School District
School district3 schools
300 3rd Ave. SW, West Bend, IA, 50597
Its website — where its board posts meetings. Federal record.
National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data 2024-25; read 2026-09-26.
Farmers markets
USDA’s directory lists no farmers market in this county. That is not the same as there being none: a market that never registered with USDA, and was not found by its 2023 web sweep, is not in the directory.
In the counties that border this one
Storm Lake Farmers Market (600 block of Erie on Courthouse Square Storm Lake)
Original Spencer Farmer's Market (1019 S Grand Spencer) · Everly Farmers Market (County Rd. B-24 Everly) · Spencer Riverfront Farmers' Market (Spencer)
Lakes Area Farmers Market (15th St. & Peoria Avenue Spirit Lake)
Humboldt Farmers Market (617 Sumner Ave. Humboldt)
Kossuth County Farmers Market (Algona)
Rolfe Farmers' Market (408 Garfield St (downtown) Herita.ge Park Rolfe) · Pocahontas Farmers Market (South Main Street (south of the Pocahontas Inn) Pocahontas)
Which counties border which: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File (2024), the file read 2026-09-26. Bordering is not distance — counties that touch at one corner border each other.
USDA National Farmers Market Directory; read 2026-09-26.