Carlson's Cabins, Blencoe, Iowa (79163), c. 1930
Blencoe’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1930.
- 1871Blencoe is settled
BlencoeIA
226 people live in this town, settled in 1871.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
226
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$139K
−1.8% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
20
A commuter town
Is Blencoe a good place to live?
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Blencoe. Blencoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
226 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Blencoe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blencoe, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlencoe Municipal WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Blencoe’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMonona County AuditorMonona County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code5152351523 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Blencoe.
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Blencoe home at about $139K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 1.8%. Blencoe: 70% of households are owner-occupiers, near both the Iowa town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
$139KZillow home value
Typical home value
Blencoe$139K
Iowa$237K
−1.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Blencoe’s residents live below the poverty line
Blencoe’s typical journey to work comes in at 22 minutes. In Blencoe, the typical household income is $87,000, above both Iowa’s towns ($69,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The top destinations are Sioux City (15%), Onawa (11%) and Whiting (7%). Only 1% of working residents stay in Blencoe for work; the rest commute out.
1%work in town
| Blencoe | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Blencoe1%
Sioux City15%
Onawa11%
Whiting7%
Des Moines7%
40 mi
median commute distance
20
jobs based in Blencoe
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Blencoe has four seasons and pleasant summers
Only 9 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a higher peak summer temperature than Blencoe. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 12° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–34°
Spring38–61°
Summer62–84°
Fall40–63°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Blencoe is
Among adults in Blencoe, 80% had a checkup this year. Of 32 CDC measures, Blencoe beats the Iowa average on 5 and trails it on 5. In Blencoe, 39% of adults have high blood pressure, and 41% have obesity.
| Blencoe | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
5 better22 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Blencoe | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8% | 11.6% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 77% | 66.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.7% |
Burgess Health Center
6.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Blencoe: drought
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Blencoe after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. On expected storm and flood damage, Blencoe sits above 51% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over a third of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 27% to inland flooding.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blencoe
16pages on Blencoe
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Blencoe; the nearest are
Nebraska Indian Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Macy, NE18.9 mi$4,080 in-state tuitionLittle Priest Tribal CollegeCommunity college · Public · Winnebago, NE28.9 mi$5,400 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Blencoe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Blencoe for work
Where Blencoe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
20jobs based in Blencoe
1%of working residents work in town
40 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Blencoe
City in Iowa, USA
Blencoe is a city in Monona County, Iowa, United States. The population was 233 at the 2020 census. An early settler from Blencoe, Canada, named the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,040 ft
- ZIP code
- 51523
Questions about Blencoe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blencoe, IA a good place to live?
Blencoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.