Mills County, Iowa
Silver City, Iowa — Rural Mills County Living
Quick Facts
- County
- Mills County, Iowa
- Population
- Approx. 245
- Median home sale price
- Approx. $185,000
- Median age
- Approx. 40 years
- School district
- Glenwood Community School District
Silver City, Iowa is a small unincorporated community tucked into the rolling bluff country of Mills County, Iowa, a few miles east of the Missouri River. It is not the kind of place that makes listicles or draws visitors from out of state. It is the kind of place people move to when they have decided, deliberately, that they want less traffic, more land, and a quieter version of daily life than what a suburb offers.
The Silver City area is defined by its landscape as much as anything else. Mills County sits at the southern end of Iowa's Loess Hills — a geological formation unique to a narrow band of western Iowa, created by wind-deposited soil during the last ice age. The result is a terrain of steeply rolling hills, wooded draws, and elevated viewpoints that feel nothing like the flat agricultural Iowa that most people picture. It is genuinely beautiful country, and largely undiscovered by the broader real estate market.
As an unincorporated community, Silver City has no municipal government, no city taxes, and no city zoning overlays. Residents are governed by Mills County, which keeps regulation light and taxes low. For people coming from the Omaha metro — where HOA rules, city permits, and rising property taxes are part of the furniture — that simplicity is a significant draw.
What Silver City Offers
Silver City is a small community, and it does not try to be something it is not. Residents here rely on Glenwood for grocery shopping, medical care, school enrollment, and most daily errands. What Silver City offers instead is space, privacy, and the kind of rural atmosphere that people who have lived in suburbs for twenty years tend to describe as the thing they were always looking for.
The daily rhythm here is different from what you find even ten miles closer to the interstate. Mornings are quiet. The roads carry local traffic and the occasional farm truck, not commuter overflow. Neighbors tend to know each other but also tend to respect the distance that acreage living implies. There is no neighborhood association sending letters about your mailbox color. If you want to put up a shop building or park your equipment outside, nobody is going to file a complaint.
The immediate area around Silver City includes:
- Paved county road access to Glenwood and Highway 34
- Quick connection to Interstate 29 for commuting north to Council Bluffs or south toward the metro
- Proximity to the Missouri River bottom and Loess Hills for outdoor recreation
- A genuinely rural atmosphere with minimal through-traffic and low population density
- Access to the Glenwood Community School District
Silver City and the Surrounding Countryside
Mills County as a whole is sparsely populated — roughly 15,000 residents across a county of about 437 square miles. That low density is part of the appeal. Silver City residents can drive to a full-service grocery store in under 15 minutes and be at a hospital in Glenwood in under 20, while living on acreage that would cost two to three times as much in any suburb of Omaha.
The area around Silver City has historically been agricultural — corn, soybeans, and cattle operations dominate the surrounding landscape. But in recent years, acreage buyers from the Omaha metro have increasingly discovered Mills County as a destination for rural residential land, drawn by the terrain, the price point, and the commute distance.
The Loess Hills are the defining feature of the region. This geological formation was created over thousands of years as fine glacial silt was carried by prevailing winds and deposited along the eastern bluffs of the Missouri River valley. The result is a landscape of sharply rolling ridges, native prairie remnants, and wooded ravines that support an unusually diverse range of plant and animal species. The Loess Hills are recognized as a National Natural Landmark, and the formation near Mills County is among the thickest and most visually dramatic anywhere in its range.
For outdoor recreation, the Silver City area is hard to beat in southwest Iowa. The Missouri River bottom — just a few miles west — offers some of the best whitetail deer hunting in the state, along with turkey, pheasant, and waterfowl. Fishing is available in the river itself as well as in the oxbow lakes and backwater areas that dot the floodplain. Waubonsie State Park, located south of Silver City in Fremont County, provides maintained hiking trails through the Loess Hills with scenic overlooks of the Missouri River valley. Lake Manawa State Park near Council Bluffs is roughly 25 minutes away and offers boating, swimming, and additional fishing opportunities.
The Missouri River proximity also means that Silver City sits at the edge of one of the most important migratory bird corridors in North America. Bald eagles are a common sight along the river in winter, and the spring migration brings thousands of snow geese through the valley. For anyone who values wildlife and open land, this is a genuinely special part of Iowa.
Education
Schools Near Silver City, Iowa
Children living in the Silver City area are served by the Glenwood Community School District, which operates four schools. Families relocating from Omaha-area districts will find Glenwood to be a smaller, more personal environment — the kind where teachers tend to know students by name.
Northeast Elementary
Approx. 535 students
Serves the eastern attendance area of the Glenwood district. Northeast Elementary focuses on foundational academics with small class sizes and a strong emphasis on reading and math proficiency through the elementary grades.
West Elementary
Approx. 412 students
Serves the western attendance area, including families closer to Silver City. West Elementary offers a similar curriculum with access to special education services, gifted programs, and extracurricular activities.
Glenwood Middle School
Grades 6-8
The district's single middle school brings students from both elementary buildings together. Offerings include core academics, band, choir, athletics, and a range of elective courses that prepare students for high school.
Glenwood Senior High
Approx. 603 students
A Class 3A high school with competitive athletics, fine arts programs, and dual enrollment options through Iowa Western Community College. The high school has a strong tradition in wrestling, football, and FFA/agricultural education.
For families considering private or parochial options, Saint Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs also serves students from the broader Mills County area, with bus service available from parts of the region.
By the Numbers
Silver City and Mills County at a Glance
~15,000
Mills County population
437 sq mi
Mills County area
7 miles
Distance to Glenwood
35 min
Drive to downtown Omaha
20 min
Drive to Council Bluffs
~$185k
Median home value, Mills County
Lower Taxes
vs. Nebraska property taxes
Acreage Lots for Sale Near Silver City, Iowa
Silver Springs Subdivision is the primary acreage development in the Silver City area, offering 18 platted lots with no required builder and no mandatory build timeline. If you are looking for land for sale in Mills County near Silver City, this is the most established option available.
Lots start at $80,000. Fiber internet and paved road access are already in place.
Silver Springs is located at 27704 Dobney Ave, Silver City, Iowa 51571 — approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Glenwood and 35 minutes from downtown Omaha.
View Available Lots
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Silver City, Iowa
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What county is Silver City, Iowa in?
Silver City is located in Mills County, Iowa.
What school district serves Silver City, Iowa?
The Glenwood Community School District serves the Silver City area.
How far is Silver City from Omaha?
Silver City is approximately 35 minutes from downtown Omaha via Highway 34 and Interstate 80.
Are there acreage lots for sale near Silver City, Iowa?
Yes. Silver Springs Subdivision offers 18 acreage lots ranging from 2 to 7 acres just outside Silver City, starting at $80,000.
What are the Loess Hills?
The Loess Hills are a geological formation found along the western edge of Iowa, formed by wind-deposited silt (loess) left behind after the last ice age. The formation stretches roughly 200 miles from north of Sioux City to south of the Missouri state line, and the hills near Silver City and Mills County are among the most dramatic in the entire range. Outside of a similar formation in China, the Loess Hills are found nowhere else on Earth at this scale.
What is the cost of living in Mills County, Iowa?
Mills County has a cost of living well below the national average. Property taxes in Iowa are generally lower than neighboring Nebraska, median home values in the county hover around $185,000, and acreage land is significantly more affordable than comparable lots in the Omaha metro. Groceries, utilities, and everyday expenses also tend to run below national averages.
Is Silver City an incorporated town?
No. Silver City is an unincorporated community in Mills County, Iowa. It does not have its own municipal government, city services, or city taxes. Residents are served by Mills County government and the Glenwood Community School District. This unincorporated status means there are no city zoning overlays, no city permits beyond what the county requires, and no city property tax levy — which contributes to the lower overall tax burden compared to living within a city like Glenwood or Council Bluffs.
What outdoor recreation is near Silver City, Iowa?
The Silver City area offers excellent access to outdoor recreation. The Loess Hills are popular for hiking, trail riding, and wildlife observation. Waubonsie State Park, located south in Fremont County, provides hiking trails through the Loess Hills with scenic overlooks. The Missouri River bottom, just west of Mills County, offers hunting for whitetail deer, turkey, pheasant, and waterfowl, as well as fishing in backwater lakes and the river itself. Lake Manawa State Park near Council Bluffs is about 25 minutes away for boating, fishing, and swimming.
What is the property tax rate in Mills County compared to Nebraska?
Iowa property taxes in rural Mills County are generally lower than comparable areas in the Omaha metro on the Nebraska side. Nebraska has some of the highest property tax rates in the nation, and families who move from Sarpy County, Douglas County, or the Bellevue area to Mills County often see meaningful savings on their annual tax bill — even on larger acreage parcels. Iowa also offers a homestead tax credit that further reduces the effective rate for primary residences.
How far is Silver City from Council Bluffs?
Silver City is approximately 20 minutes south of Council Bluffs via Interstate 29. The drive to the southern Council Bluffs commercial district, including shopping centers and healthcare facilities, is even shorter.
This Is the Quiet Part of Iowa
Nobody Moves Here
by Accident
People don't stumble into Silver City. They find it because they're done with subdivisions that all look the same and commutes that eat their evenings. If you're reading this page, you're already closer than most. Come walk the land and see if it feels the way you hoped it would.