American Legion Pump-Scheer Post 342, 2026
Jesup’s story
166 years in pictures
Census counts: 569 in 1880, 2,508 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
- 1860Jesup is settled
JesupIA
A town of 2,557, settled in 1860.
Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,557
2025 Census estimate · +1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$256K
+3.7% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
795
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#54 of 140 in IA
Is Jesup a good place to live?
Jesup gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $256K, 3.3 years of the county’s $78K median household income. It grades A− overall, ranked 54th of 140 in Iowa. Jesup's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns. 28% of residents are under 18 in Jesup, against 23% in Iowa’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns.
StrongestA+Civic life
What makes Jesup stand out
Where Jesup beats most towns.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Jesup for work
Where Jesup’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
795jobs based in Jesup
10%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Jesup grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Jesup is from typical.
Cost of livingB+Open →HealthBuchanan County Health Center 7.8 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 6.5% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Jobs & income$89K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailCOpen →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life7.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jesup: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jesup, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterJesup Municipal Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jesup’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 hereBuchanan County AuditorBuchanan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code5064850648 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 Jesup.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in three of Jesup’s working residents commute to Waterloo
Most working residents leave Jesup for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Jesup has added 109 jobs, to 795 in 2023. The average trip to work in Jesup is 23 minutes.
10%work in town
| Jesup | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Jesup10%
Waterloo30%
Cedar Falls9%
Independence8%
Cedar Rapids5%
16 mi
median commute distance
795
jobs based in Jesup
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
Jesup’s public schools outperform 64% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the Jesup Community School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
64%of IA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesup Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 412 | A− |
| Jesup High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 269 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Jesup ranks healthier than 67% of the country’s towns
Jesup tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 10% of Jesup adults have diabetes.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Jesup | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Buchanan County Health Center
7.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
65th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Jesup has four seasons and pleasant summers
Jesup has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Jesup’s July high is 83°F.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–30°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Iowa overall
14% of residents are 65 or older in Jesup. 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
34.3median age · IA 38.6
| Jesup | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
JesupIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school29%
Some college24%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
About 120 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.7 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 91% are men (IA 52%).
| Jesup | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.4% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.3% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.9% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Jesup
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B+
For cost of living, Jesup earns a B+
The typical Jesup home is worth about $256,000, up 3.7% in a year, 8% above the Iowa typical home.
$256KZillow home value
| Jesup | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $933 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Jesup$256K
Iowa$237K
+3.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,194 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pioneer Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Lost Island Theme Park and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jesup. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Theme parkLost Island Theme Park
16 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park
40 mi MuseumMuseum of Art Cedar Rapids
39 mi MuseumGranger House
14 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
20 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice House
16 mi MuseumCedar Rock State Park40 mi MuseumMuseum of Art Cedar Rapids39 mi MuseumGranger House14 mi GardenCedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens20 mi MuseumCedar Falls Ice HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cedar Rock State Park: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Art Cedar Rapids: ericjames, CC BY 3.0 · Granger House: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens: Cedarvalleyarboretum, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cedar Falls Ice House: RifeIdeas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jesup
19pages on Jesup
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Jesup
Hawkeye Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waterloo13.8 mi$6,525 in-state tuitionAllen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waterloo14.5 mi
About 2 of every 100 Jesup residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Jesup
City in Iowa, United States
Jesup is a city in Buchanan County and partly in Black Hawk County in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,508 at the time of the 2020 census. It was named for Morris Ketchum Jesup, president of the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad. The Black Hawk County portion of Jesup is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. The community of Jesup has undergone many changes in recent years. With new subdivisions, the population for the small community is on the rise due to the town's proximity to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metropolitan Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 984 ft
- ZIP code
- 50648
- Area code
- 319
Questions about Jesup
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jesup, IA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Jesup grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #54 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B+ for health and B for schools.
Is Jesup, IA expensive?
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 B+.
What is Jesup, IA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Bill Wagner and Edward A. Dalton.