Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, home to about 3,908 people across 3.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52136.
Homes sold for a median of $113 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cresco. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Cresco’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)118 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Rochester International Airport (RST)42 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Paul, MN120 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL249 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Cresco; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Cresco had 3,888 residents in the 2020 census, up 0% since 2000.
It’s the 104th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Howard County grew from 14,512 residents in 1900 to 9,469 in 2020.
Howard County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 38.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cresco 1 Ne, IA weather station (2 miles away).
3,350 jobs at 270 businesses in Howard County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
38 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cresco.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 8 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 3 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 12 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
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.
Parks (7 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles 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.
Public schools here are run by Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cresco Early Childhood Development CenterCresco | Pre-K | 43 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Crestwood Elementary SchoolCresco | K–4 | 349 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Crestwood Middle SchoolCresco | 5–8 | 283 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Crestwood High SchoolCresco | 9–12 | 346 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame Catholic SchoolCresco | Pre-K–5 | 118 | Roman Catholic | 0.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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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.