Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,399, settled in 1840. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Trash day: look up yoursThe best of Cascade’s subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. On hazard risk, just 23 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. Cascade’s median age is 33 years, where Iowa’s towns sit at 38.7 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Moore's Ford Bridge and Sauser-Lane House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cascade has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cascade beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Cascade Elementary School | PK–5 | 305 |
| Aquin Catholic Elementary School | PK–8 | 217 |
| Cascade Junior-Senior High School | 6–12 | 392 |
| Widest gap | Cascade | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 6.4% |
2,159 counted in 2010 and 2,386 in 2020; an estimated 2,399 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Cascade is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 762 in 1880, 2,386 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cascade, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Cascade.
Its public schools are run by the Western Dubuque Community School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cascade Junior-Senior High School, with 392 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 305 | A+ |
| Cascade Junior-Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 392 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
19% of Cascade adults have been diagnosed with depression, below both the Iowa town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (23%). 34% of Cascade adults have obesity. Cascade beats the Iowa average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Cascade | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Cascade | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.8% | 9.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.2% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 35 to 64 are 27% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (23% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Cascade | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Cascade | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.4% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.5% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.9% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 18% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,400, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Cascade home is worth about $295,000, up 6% in a year, 25% above the Iowa typical home.
| Cascade | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $900 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cascade.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cascade has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Cascade’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Cascade for work: only 9% work in town. The average trip to work in Cascade is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Dubuque (22%), Dyersville (7%) and Farley (6%).
| Cascade | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 8.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cascade
About 4 of every 100 Cascade residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
8 notable people were born in Cascade.
City in Iowa, United States
Cascade is a city in Dubuque and Jones counties, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque County portion is part of Dubuque metropolitan area, while the Jones County section is part of Cedar Rapids metropolitan area. The population was 2,386 at the 2020 census, up from 1,958 in 2000. The city is located within southwestern of Dubuque County and north-central Jones County. Arguably the town's most notable historic event was the 1925 flood. Between 1880 and 1936, the town was connected to Bellevue via the Chicago, St. Paul & Milwaukee Railroad Company. It was Iowa's last narrow gauge railroad with a gauge of 3'. The roadbed curves and grades were considered too extreme for conversion to standard gaug…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
8 notable people were born here, including Red Faber and Jeremie Miller.