Cambridge Iowa 20090208 City Hall, 2009
Cambridge’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1856Cambridge is settled
CambridgeIA
Photo: Ashton B Crew · CC BY 3.0
Population
827
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$338K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
40.5
years
Jobs based here
133
A commuter town
Is Cambridge a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 3 have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Cambridge. The biggest park or preserve is Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, at 22 acres. Cambridge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cambridge stand out
Where Cambridge beats most towns.
Small town
827 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 Cambridge: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cambridge, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCambridge Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cambridge’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 hereStory County AuditorStory County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP code5004650046 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 Cambridge.
Housing
The typical home in Cambridge is valued at about $338K
The typical Cambridge home is worth about $338,000, up 3.9% in a year, 43% above the Iowa typical home. 83% of households own their home in Cambridge, where Iowa’s towns sit at 70% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$338KZillow home value
| Cambridge | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,043 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Cambridge$338K
Iowa$237K
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Cambridge’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Ballard Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard East ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 417 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Cambridge than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
1.8% of working residents work locally in Cambridge, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Cambridge grew to 133 in 2023, 37 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Cambridge is 24 minutes.
2%work in town
| Cambridge | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cambridge2%
Ames25%
Des Moines14%
Ankeny10%
Huxley7%
14 mi
median commute distance
133
jobs based in Cambridge
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Cambridge
Cambridge has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall41–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Fewer of Cambridge’s adults sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Cambridge. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Cambridge. 24% of adults binge drink in Cambridge.
| Cambridge | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
21 better10 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Cambridge | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.9% | 12% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.5% | 7.3% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.7% | 77.8% |
Story County Hospital
8.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Cambridge
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cambridge.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
paid flood claims since 2008
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Cambridge has set aside 3.5% of its land for conservation
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
3.5%conserved
| Cambridge | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
3.5%
conserved · 30 of 858 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail | — | 22 |
| 2. Cambridge City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Casey's Center and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cambridge. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center17 mi Theme parkAdventureland
22 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
10 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
23 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
21 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cambridge
19pages on Cambridge
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Cambridge
Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames10.3 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionFaith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ankeny12.2 mi$20,270 tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny14 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Cambridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Cambridge for work
Where Cambridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
133jobs based in Cambridge
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cambridge
City in Iowa, United States
Cambridge is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 827 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- ZIP code
- 50046
Questions about Cambridge
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cambridge, IA a good place to live?
Cambridge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.