Western Hotel · National Register of Historic Places
Holy Cross’s story
127 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1899Holy Cross is settled
Holy CrossIA
A town of 345, settled in 1899.
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
345
2025 Census estimate · −4.2% since 2020
Typical home
$233K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
50.0
years
Jobs based here
42
A commuter town
Is Holy Cross a good place to live?
Western Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places. Holy Cross has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
345 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 Holy Cross: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holy Cross, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHoly Cross Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Holy Cross’ 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 hereDubuque County AuditorDubuque County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP code5205352053 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 Holy Cross.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Holy Cross is longer
Most people who work leave Holy Cross to do it: just 1% work in town. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Holy Cross. Jobs here fell by 29 from 2013 to 2023, to 42. For half of commuters, work is under 18 miles away.
1%work in town
| Holy Cross | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Holy Cross1%
Dubuque25%
Farley11%
Cascade7%
Dyersville7%
18 mi
median commute distance
42
jobs based in Holy Cross
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle Catholic School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 70 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Holy Cross faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
For Holy Cross, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 75 of 100. FEMA puts just over three fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Holy Cross after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2010.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Holy Cross stands out in Iowa and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is cooler
Winters in Holy Cross are cold, snowy and summers pleasant. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 11° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–29°
Spring37–57°
Summer60–80°
Fall40–59°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Holy Cross is
The share of adults in Holy Cross who say their health is fair or poor: 16%. Two figures for adults in the town: 30% have high blood pressure, 9.4% have diabetes.
| Holy Cross | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Holy Cross | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.4% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 29.6% | 33.9% |
Mercyone Dyersville Medical Center
11 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Holy Cross home at about $233K
Holy Cross’ median rent stands at $633 a month. Typical home values rose 2.1% in the year to September 2026. Among households here, 69% own their home.
$233KZillow home value
| Holy Cross | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $633 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Holy Cross$233K
Iowa$237K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 208 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Holy Cross City Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Effigy Mounds National Monument and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Holy Cross. Close and well known come first.
25 mi National MonumentEffigy Mounds National Monument57K visitors a year
39 mi MountainCharles Mound
19 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
32 mi MuseumFort Crawford
11 mi MuseumNational Farm Toy Museum
18 mi TheatreFive Flags CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Effigy Mounds National Monument: National Park Service, Public domain · Charles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Crawford: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Farm Toy Museum: Madmaxmarchhare of English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 · Five Flags Center: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Holy Cross
18pages on Holy Cross
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Holy Cross
About 4 of every 100 Holy Cross residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Holy Cross for work
Where Holy Cross’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
42jobs based in Holy Cross
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Holy Cross
City in Iowa, United States
Holy Cross is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 356 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 374 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,211 ft
- ZIP code
- 52053
Questions about Holy Cross
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Holy Cross, IA a good place to live?
Holy Cross has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.