Financial Literacy in Scranton, IA
With a population of roughly 496, Scranton, Iowa is the 441st-largest of 940 incorporated places in Iowa. The population has declined 2.2% since 2020, from 507 to 496. The median age is 49.9, skewing older, where the pressing questions shift toward retirement income, medical costs and passing things on.
7.8% of Scranton residents 25 and older have completed a bachelor's degree or more. That sits 10.3 points below the Iowa average of 18.1%. Put the other way round: of the 333 adults 25 and over counted in the 2019–2023 ACS, roughly 307 — 92.2% — are building their financial lives without a four-year degree behind them.
The typical household here earns $60,000 a year. That is $5,264 below the Iowa median. About 14.7% of residents live below the poverty line. The median home is valued at $58,600, roughly 1× median household income.
Scranton by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (2024) | 496 |
| Change since 2020 | -2.2% |
| Median household income | $60,000 |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree | 7.8% |
| Adults 25+ with a high school diploma | 87.1% |
| Median age | 49.9 |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 0.9% |
| Median home value | $58,600 |
| Land area | 1.861 sq mi |
| Population density | 267 / sq mi |
What Iowa teaches — and to whom
Iowa already requires 1 semester of personal finance for a high school diploma, a rule in force since the graduating class of 2023. That covers students still in the system. It does nothing for the adults already out of it — which, in Scranton, is most of the people reading this.
LearnLife organises this the way the decisions actually arrive: Legal literacy — leases, contracts, employment rights and what a signature actually commits you to; Money — budgeting, credit, debt and taxes — the mechanics nobody is formally taught; Emotional regulation — the self-management that decides whether the other skills ever get used.
Where to start in Scranton
Shift from accumulating to drawing down
With a median age of 49.9, a large share of Scranton is closer to drawing on savings than building them. The skills that matter shift accordingly: sequencing withdrawals, understanding Medicare's enrolment windows, and getting beneficiary designations and a will actually filled in.
Questions people ask about Scranton
Do high school students in Scranton, Iowa have to take a personal finance class?
Yes. Iowa requires 1 semester to graduate, in force since the class of 2023.
How many adults in Scranton, Iowa have a college degree?
7.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, based on the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey. The remaining 92.2% are managing their finances without one.
What is the median household income in Scranton, Iowa?
$60,000, per the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey.
Where can adults in Scranton, Iowa learn personal finance?
Graduation requirements only ever reach people still in school. For adults, LearnLife covers the same ground on demand — money, legal literacy and the self-management that decides whether either gets used.
Start with whichever one is costing you money right now.
Browse the LearnLife catalog