Town guide

Bancroft, Iowa

Bancroft is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa, home to about 626 people across 0.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50517.

Homes sold for a median of $35 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population6261,118 per sq mi
Median home value$120,700Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$35Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Bancroft

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Bancroft. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Bancroft

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)120 miles away
Closer regional airportMason City Municipal Airport (MCW)45 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Minneapolis, MN124 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL347 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Bancroft; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Bancroft

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Bancroft had 699 residents in the 2020 census, down 13% since 2000.

It’s the 414th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Kossuth County grew from 22,720 residents in 1900 to 14,828 in 2020.

Bancroft population by census2000: 808, 2010: 732, 2020: 699808200073220106992020

Kossuth County, 1900–2020

Kossuth County population, 1900 to 20201900: 22,720, 1910: 21,971, 1920: 25,082, 1930: 25,452, 1940: 26,630, 1950: 26,241, 1960: 25,314, 1970: 22,937, 1980: 21,891, 1990: 18,591, 2000: 17,163, 2010: 15,543, 2020: 14,82823K’00’1025K’20’3027K’40’5025K’60’7022K’80’9017K’00’1015K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 5°F. About 33 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near BancroftJan: high 22°F, low 5°F, 0.9 in; Feb: high 27°F, low 8°F, 0.9 in; Mar: high 40°F, low 21°F, 1.8 in; Apr: high 55°F, low 33°F, 3.4 in; May: high 68°F, low 46°F, 4.6 in; Jun: high 78°F, low 57°F, 4.7 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 60°F, 4.2 in; Aug: high 78°F, low 58°F, 4.1 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 48°F, 3.2 in; Oct: high 59°F, low 35°F, 2.5 in; Nov: high 42°F, low 22°F, 1.5 in; Dec: high 28°F, low 11°F, 1.2 in22°5°Jan0.927°8°Feb0.940°21°Mar1.855°33°Apr3.468°46°May4.678°57°Jun4.781°60°Jul4.278°58°Aug4.173°48°Sep3.259°35°Oct2.542°22°Nov1.528°11°Dec1.2Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Swea City 5n, IA weather station (12 miles away).

Jobs in Kossuth County

5,276 jobs at 536 businesses in Kossuth County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Kossuth CountyManufacturing: 1,355 jobs; Retail trade: 741 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 716 jobs; Finance and insurance: 507 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 346 jobs; Wholesale trade: 303 jobs; Construction: 280 jobs; Professional services: 243 jobsManufacturing 26% Retail trade 14% Health care and social assistance 14% Finance and insurance 10% Hotels and restaurants 7% Wholesale trade 6% Construction 5% Professional services 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

4 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Bancroft.

Nearest hospitals

  • Kossuth Regional Health CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Algona15.7 miles
  • United Hospital DistrictCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Blue Earth24.2 miles
  • Hancock County Health SystemCritical access hospital · emergency room · Britt24.4 miles

Providers with an office here

Dentists1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants2
Chiropractors1
Pharmacies1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Bancroft

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Bancroft Public Library0.5 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

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Where Bancroft is

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Towns near Bancroft

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.