Hamilton County Schools & Education
Hamilton County, Iowa
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
67/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
93.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
93.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 92.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,796
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,591
School Score
67/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#35
of 99 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Hamilton County
Measured School Summary
Hamilton County performs at an average level with a school score of 67/100 and a solid graduation rate of 93.0%.
Funding Context
At $7,796 per pupil, Hamilton County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 10% above the Iowa average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Hamilton County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
8 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
67/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #35 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.
Completion
93.0%
0.7 pts above the state average
Funding context
$7,796
$205 above the state average
School coverage
8
3 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Hamilton County has 8 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Hamilton County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
Webster City Comm School District carries most of the listed public-school system, with 5 of 8 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#35
of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 6 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Webster City Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
1,731 students
5 listed schools in this county slice.
South Hamilton Comm School District
Elementary and high visible
690 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Stratford Comm School District
Elementary school only in this slice
80 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Webster City Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Hamilton County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Hamilton County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Hamilton County Composite School Score Surpasses State Average
Education data brief for Hamilton County, Iowa.
Hamilton County recorded a composite school score of 67.4, higher than the Iowa average of 61.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county's 2,501 public school students are served across eight schools, with an average school size of 313 students. The Webster City Community School District is the largest in the county, managing five schools and 1,731 students, including Webster City High School with 547 students. The county graduation rate of 93.0% is slightly above the state average of 92.3% and higher than the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,796, which is higher than the Iowa average of $7,591 but remains below the national benchmark of $13,000. No charter schools are present, and the school mix is evenly split between town and rural locales. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
8
in Hamilton County
Reported Enrollment
2,501
8 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Hamilton County
Webster City Comm School District
South Hamilton Comm School District
Stratford Comm School District
8 Public Schools in Hamilton County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 8 of 8 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster City High School | Record | Webster City Comm School District | Webster City, 50595Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 547 |
| Webster City Middle School | Record | Webster City Comm School District | Webster City, 50595Town: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 455 |
| South Hamilton Elem | Record | South Hamilton Comm School District | Jewell, 50130Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 362 |
| South Hamilton Middle And High School | Record | South Hamilton Comm School District | Jewell, 50130Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 328 |
| Sunset Heights Elementary School | Record | Webster City Comm School District | Webster City, 50595Town: Distant | 2–4 | Primary | 288 |
| Northeast Hamilton Elementary School | Record | Webster City Comm School District | Webster City, 50595Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 225 |
| Pleasant View Elementary School | Record | Webster City Comm School District | Webster City, 50595Town: Distant | PK–1 | Primary | 216 |
| Stratford Elementary | Record | Stratford Comm School District | Stratford, 50249Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 80 |
Webster City High School
Webster City Comm School District
Webster City, 50595 / Town: Distant
Webster City Middle School
Webster City Comm School District
Webster City, 50595 / Town: Distant
South Hamilton Elem
South Hamilton Comm School District
Jewell, 50130 / Rural: Distant
South Hamilton Middle And High School
South Hamilton Comm School District
Jewell, 50130 / Rural: Distant
Sunset Heights Elementary School
Webster City Comm School District
Webster City, 50595 / Town: Distant
Northeast Hamilton Elementary School
Webster City Comm School District
Webster City, 50595 / Rural: Distant
Pleasant View Elementary School
Webster City Comm School District
Webster City, 50595 / Town: Distant
Stratford Elementary
Stratford Comm School District
Stratford, 50249 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,796
State avg $7,591
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Hamilton County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Iowa counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Iowa?
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What is the graduation rate in Hamilton County?
How much does Hamilton County spend per student?
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.