Town guide

Cambridge, Iowa

Cambridge is a city in Story County, Iowa, home to about 803 people across 1.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50046.

Homes sold for a median of $243 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population803604 per sq mi
Median home value$178,100Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$243Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking33%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Cambridge

1 ZIP code

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

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  • History
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Around Cambridge

Distances

Nearest major airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM)26 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE138 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL301 miles away

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

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

Who represents Cambridge

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

Cambridge had 827 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.

It’s the 346th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Story County grew from 23,159 residents in 1900 to 98,537 in 2020.

Cambridge population by census2000: 819, 2010: 827, 2020: 827819200082720108272020

Story County, 1900–2020

Story County population, 1900 to 20201900: 23,159, 1910: 24,083, 1920: 26,185, 1930: 31,141, 1940: 33,434, 1950: 44,294, 1960: 49,327, 1970: 62,783, 1980: 72,326, 1990: 74,252, 2000: 79,981, 2010: 89,542, 2020: 98,53723K’00’1026K’20’3033K’40’5049K’60’7072K’80’9080K’00’1099K’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 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 38.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 27 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near CambridgeJan: high 28°F, low 10°F, 1 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 14°F, 1.2 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 25°F, 2.2 in; Apr: high 60°F, low 36°F, 3.8 in; May: high 71°F, low 49°F, 5.3 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 59°F, 5.4 in; Jul: high 84°F, low 63°F, 4.5 in; Aug: high 82°F, low 60°F, 4.7 in; Sep: high 76°F, low 51°F, 3.8 in; Oct: high 63°F, low 39°F, 2.7 in; Nov: high 47°F, low 27°F, 2 in; Dec: high 34°F, low 16°F, 1.5 in28°10°Jan1.033°14°Feb1.246°25°Mar2.260°36°Apr3.871°49°May5.380°59°Jun5.484°63°Jul4.582°60°Aug4.776°51°Sep3.863°39°Oct2.747°27°Nov2.034°16°Dec1.5Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ames 5 Se, IA weather station (4 miles away).

Jobs in Story County

33,500 jobs at 2,162 businesses in Story County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Story CountyHealth care and social assistance: 6,026 jobs; Manufacturing: 5,564 jobs; Retail trade: 5,375 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 4,873 jobs; Construction: 2,021 jobs; Other services: 1,708 jobs; Professional services: 1,385 jobs; Administrative and support: 1,141 jobsHealth care and social assistance 18% Manufacturing 17% Retail trade 16% Hotels and restaurants 15% Construction 6% Other services 5% Professional services 4% Administrative and support 3%

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

Health care

5 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cambridge.

Nearest hospitals

  • Story County HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Nevada8.6 miles
  • Mary Greeley Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Ames9.9 miles
  • Va Central Iowa Healthcare SystemVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Des Moines20.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Mental health providers5

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 Cambridge

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Heart of Iowa Nature Trail · 38 acres0.8 mi
  • Heart of Iowa Nature Trail · 1 acres0.6 mi
  • Cambridge City Park · 1 acres0.3 mi

Grocery stores

  • Fareway4.0 mi

Pharmacies

  • Hy-Vee Pharmacy3.7 mi

Libraries

  • Huxley Library3.9 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.

Schools in Cambridge

Public schools here are run by Ballard Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Ballard East ElementaryCambridge3–5417Public0.8 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Cambridge is

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Towns near Cambridge

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Shares ZIP codes with Huxley.

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.