I-29 - I-680 interchange, 2011
Crescent’s story
143 years in pictures
Census counts: 134 in 1880, 628 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1956 on.
- 1883Crescent is settled
CrescentIA
A town of 615, settled in 1883.
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
615
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$375K
+4.5% in a year
Household income
$116K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Jobs based here
50
A commuter town
Is Crescent a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Crescent. Crescent has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
615 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 37 attractions →Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and 26 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Crescent. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
31 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
9 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
10 mi LandmarkFort Atkinson
7 mi MuseumUSS Hazard
6 mi MuseumPottawattamie County JailSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Loess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain · USS Hazard: Dave Aldworth / Oldfarm at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Pottawattamie County Jail: Smallbones, CC0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Crescent: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Crescent, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCrescent Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Crescent’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 herePottawattamie County AuditorPottawattamie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5152651526 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 Crescent.
Housing
The typical home in Crescent is valued at about $375K
Home values are up 4.5% over the year to September 2026.
$375KZillow home value
Typical home value
Crescent$375K
Iowa$237K
+4.5%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Fewer of Crescent’s working residents work locally than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Among residents in Crescent, 0.4% live below the poverty line, below both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The town’s median household income is $116,000. The top destinations are Omaha (34%), Council Bluffs (22%) and Missouri Valley (3%). Half of commuters travel less than 12 miles.
0%work in town
| Crescent | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 0.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Crescent0%
Omaha34%
Council Bluffs22%
Missouri Valley3%
Des Moines2%
12 mi
median commute distance
50
jobs based in Crescent
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Crescent: four seasons and pleasant summers
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 10 have a higher peak summer temperature than Crescent. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 14° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–35°
Spring40–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall41–64°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Crescent: inland flooding
Flood insurance has paid one claim in Crescent since 2019. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 63% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Crescent households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Nearly a third of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 24%.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
paid flood claims since 2019
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Crescent is
In Crescent, one in ten adults have diabetes. CDC measures, 32 in all: Crescent beats Iowa on 9 and trails on 1. Among adults in the town, 22% binge drink, where Iowa’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 16%. 12% of adults in Crescent report frequent physical distress; 14% say their health is fair or poor.
| Crescent | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Crescent | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 12% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5% | 7.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.7% |
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs
6.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Crescent looks like Iowa by age
Every broad age group is within 4 points of the Iowa average. For Crescent, the midpoint age is 43.8 years. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
43.8median age · IA 38.6
| Crescent | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
CrescentIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school38%
Some college26%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Crescent | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.1% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Crescent
16pages on Crescent
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of Crescent
Metropolitan Community College AreaCommunity college · Public · Omaha, NE6.4 mi$3,375 in-state tuitionIowa Western Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Council Bluffs7.2 mi$6,930 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterUniversity or college · Public · Omaha, NE9.6 mi
About 3 of every 100 Crescent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Crescent for work
Where Crescent’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
50jobs based in Crescent
0%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Crescent
City in Iowa, USA
Crescent is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 628 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,010 ft
- ZIP code
- 51526
Questions about Crescent
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Crescent, IA a good place to live?
Crescent has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.